#things to do in burlington vt today
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Is Burlington Vermont worth visiting?
Visit Burlington, Vermont for its stunning beauty with Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains as a backdrop. Enjoy vibrant downtown life at Church Street Marketplace, indulge in farm-to-table dining, and explore a rich cultural scene with art galleries and live music venues. With outdoor adventures, historic sites, local breweries, and a welcoming community, Burlington offers a perfect blend of relaxation and excitement for all visitors.
Things to do in Burlington VT in March
March in Burlington, Vermont offers a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, despite the lingering winter chill. Here are some things to do in Burlington and the surrounding area during this time of year:
1. Enjoy Winter Sports
Skiing and Snowboarding: Hit the slopes at nearby ski resorts such as Bolton Valley, Stowe Mountain Resort, or Sugarbush Resort.
Cross-Country Skiing: Explore scenic trails at places like the Catamount Outdoor Family Center or the Intervale Center.
2. Ice Skating
Champlain Valley Expo: The indoor rink offers public skating sessions, perfect for a fun and active outing.
Leddy Park: Weather permitting, the outdoor rink at Leddy Park is a picturesque spot for skating.
3. Visit Local Breweries and Distilleries
Magic Hat Brewing Company: Take a brewery tour and sample craft beers at one of Burlington's iconic breweries.
Switchback Brewing Company: Another local favorite for brewery tours and tastings.
Smugglers' Notch Distillery: Learn about small-batch spirits and enjoy tastings of Vermont-made whiskey and vodka.
4. Explore the Arts and Culture Scene
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts: Catch a live performance, from concerts to theater productions.
Burlington City Arts: Visit art galleries and exhibitions showcasing local and regional artists.
Fleming Museum of Art: Explore the diverse collection of art and artifacts at the University of Vermont's museum.
5. Dine at Local Restaurants
Enjoy Vermont's farm-to-table cuisine at restaurants like Hen of the Wood, The Farmhouse Tap & Grill, or Penny Cluse Café.
Sample local flavors at the Burlington Farmers' Market, held indoors during the winter months.
6. Take a Scenic Drive
Drive along Lake Champlain for stunning views of the lake and Adirondack Mountains.
Explore nearby scenic routes like the Green Mountain Byway or the Mad River Byway for picturesque landscapes.
7. Attend Festivals and Events
St. Patrick's Day Parade: Join the festive parade in downtown Burlington, typically held in mid-March.
Vermont International Film Festival: Enjoy screenings of independent films from around the world.
Local Music Events: Check out live music performances at venues like Higher Ground or Nectar's.
8. Outdoor Adventures
Snowshoeing: Explore trails at places like the Ethan Allen Homestead or the Red Rocks Park.
Winter Hikes: Bundle up and hike to scenic spots like Mount Philo State Park for panoramic views.
9. Shopping and Exploring Downtown
Church Street Marketplace: Wander the pedestrian-friendly street for shopping, dining, and street performers.
Local Boutiques: Browse unique shops for Vermont-made crafts, clothing, and gifts.
ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain: Visit the science museum for interactive exhibits about the lake and its ecosystems.
10. Relax with a Spa Day
Treat yourself to a spa day at one of Burlington's spas, offering massages, facials, and relaxation treatments.
March in Burlington offers a mix of winter activities, cultural experiences, and cozy indoor outings, making it a delightful time to explore this vibrant city and its scenic surroundings. If you need transportation services in Burlington you can find best taxi service in Burlington, VT. They provide very affordable and reliable transportation according to your need.
#things to do in burlington vt this weekend#things to do in burlington vt in winter#things to do in burlington vt today#things to do in burlington vt in december#free things to do in burlington vt#things to do in burlington vt during christmas#day trips from burlington vt
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Call Me Barack Obama (My Bday Twin)
Posted on my Substack & Patreon today, 2.27.24
Hello, I think my first "official" post should be an introduction.
Not me "going public" right after my Boomer dad was just talking to me about the importance of privacy 🤣. I get it: the Baby Boomer generation is very hush hush, sweep things under the rug, don't put the family business out there. I'm a millenial though and we're breaking generational curses.
A breakdown of my annoying vocabulary:
-Generational curse = a habit or behavior that has been passed from one generation to the next.
-cishet = cisgender heterosexual
-cisgender = I was born with a vagina and identify as a woman
-heterosexual = For the most part, I am mentally/emotionally/sexually attracted to people who present as male
-neurodivergent = differing in mental or neurological (brain) function from what is considered typical or normal (frequently used with reference to autistic spectrum disorders)
-Highly Sensitive Person = when you’re deeply sensitive to certain physical, emotional or social situations; a form of neurodivergence
-Introverted = recharge social battery via alone time
-Morbidly Curious = an interest in or curiosity about unpleasant things, especially death. If u know me, you know I ask a LOT of questions
-Trigger/Content Warnings = warnings that a work contains writing, images, or concepts that may be distressing to some people
-Abolition = a person who favors the abolition of a practice or institution, especially capital punishment or (formerly) slavery
Welcome! I am Breea Janay. I'm a 31 year old cishet Black woman. I'm a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), relatively introverted, and I consider myself an artsy, morbidly curious scientist. I bake, eat, read, write, and game a lot. I am a middle child with an older and younger sister. I was raised as a devout Christian (non-denominational). If you’re into astrology, I'm a Leo sun, Libra moon, Cancer rising. I am the descendant of some soap opera level stuff. Very intense, dramatic, & traumatic topics that I need to preface with Content/Trigger warnings so that I don't, well, trigger anyone.
Both my parents are from rural East Texas, but thanks to General Motors (my dad's job), I had the privilege of being the first Black baby born in Vermont in 1992, in the month of August (8th month of the year!). A lot of the hospital staff were vying to see & photograph their first Black infant, as naturally I was not equally human like my white peers 🙄. Burlington, VT wanted me to be in the papers, but my parents were not comfortable with that. The next year, my younger sister would be the first Black baby born in Vermont in 1993 (also August) 😭.
Shortly after my younger sister's birth, we moved to New Jersey, where I stayed until 2001. I spent a lot of time in Philadelphia, spent a lot of summers in Texas, and visited NYC for the first time in July 2001.
My parents moved the fam to Texas in 2001 (we drove from NJ to TX 🫠), where I started 4th grade in the Houston area. I moved to the Dallas area in 9th grade, 2006. I graduated from Allen High School at 17 years old and went to Brown University in 2010.
How did I a) get into any Ivy League and then b) mess it all up by landing myself in the looney bin? How could I do something as selfish and stupid as a suicide attempt when I had everything going for me?
That's definitely where my content warnings come in, so I'll save that for later. Just to be transparent, that stuff is probably going to need to go behind a slight paywall.
Thank you for reading! I'm planning on returning to video-making/Youtube (I started a Youtube channel in my senior year of high school to talk about my hair journey), I'm just trying to get my aesthetic in order first! My twin flame/maybe soulmate is putting me through the wringer right now and I look like it. I guess I could always wig it up for now...
#neurodivergent#abolitionist#Black in Vermont#ivy league#brown university#highly sensitive person#barack obama#cishet woman#rural Texas#East Texas#grippy sock vacation#suicidal ideation#suicide attempt#self harm#college dropout#New Jersey#philly#ptsd
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Bigger Than Bernie: The Other Progressive Challengers Taking On the Democratic Establishment (via Christopher Hass)
Our Progressive Candidates
Our endorsed candidates are running for office representing progressive values. Fighting for progressive ideas, for the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, free college, ending mass incarceration and deportation. It’s time to empower the voice of a new generation of Progressives who represent the people. A new generation of Progressives who will fight for solutions that match the need of the many.
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
BERNIE SANDERS OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENTS
UNITED STATES SENATE
Maggie Toulouse Oliver U.S. SENATE – NEW MEXICO
OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENTS
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Rashida Tlaib U.S. HOUSE – MICHIGAN (MI-13)
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ U.S. HOUSE – NEW YORK (NY-14)
PRAMILA JAYAPAL, U.S. HOUSE – WASHINGTON (WA-07)
ILHAN OMAR U.S. HOUSE – MINNESOTA (MN-05)
RO KHANNA U.S. HOUSE – CALIFORNIA (CA-17)
Joaquin Vazquez U.S. HOUSE – California (CA-53)
Marie Newman U.S. HOUSE – ILLINOIS (IL-03)
OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENTS
UNITED STATES LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CANDIDATES CLICK HERE Can not find your progressive candidate?
Year 2020 – Recognize a Progressive – Nominate a Candidate:
The Other Progressive Challengers Taking On the Democratic Establishment
By Christopher Hass “Today,” Bernie Sanders booms in his monotone shout, “we begin a political revolution to transform our country—economically, politically, socially and environmentally.” He marks each beat with his right hand, as if conducting with an invisible baton. Behind him, a lone seagull flaps its wings as it flies across Lake Champlain. The crowd of 5,000 that has come to Burlington, Vt., on a sunny afternoon in May to witness Sanders’ official campaign announcement breaks into a cheer. At the time, it was easy to dismiss talk of revolution as the rallying cry of a 74-year-old democratic socialist who clings too dearly to memories of the 1960s. Eleven months and more than six million votes later, Sanders’ call for revolution is harder to ignore. But what, exactly, would this political revolution look like? It’s not hard to imagine Sanders marching in the streets with the masses—he’s walked plenty of picket lines, most recently alongside Verizon workers in New York City last October—but that’s not the revolution he’s calling for. For Sanders, political revolution means shifting control of American politics away from corporate interests, convincing non-voters to go to the polls and attracting white working-class voters back to the Democratic Party, all while moving the party left enough to embrace democratic socialist policies. A political revolution of that kind is going to require two things: a wave of candidates committed to a bold set of progressive ideas and a mass of voters with the political will to elect them. There’s evidence both of these are already here.
Progressives are fired up here for a victory against big money. —Jamie Raskin read the full interview In These Times spoke to U.S. House and Senate challengers across the country who are very much a part of this wave. They are all outsiders to varying degrees, and all of them are running against the Democratic establishment in its various forms—from corporate donors and super PACs to the head of the Democratic National Committee herself. These challengers range from first-time candidates to experienced lawmakers, from community organizers to law professors. Each is balancing the individual concerns of the voters they seek to represent alongside the larger mood of the nation. None of them is running because of Bernie Sanders, but they clearly benefit from the enthusiasm and sense of progressive possibility his campaign has created. It would be a mistake to call them “Sanders Democrats” (and it’s unlikely Sanders himself would want anything to do with the term). Some have endorsed Sanders, others remain neutral or even back Hillary Clinton. But they are coalescing around a set of progressive policies familiar to anyone who has heard Sanders speak, including single-payer healthcare, free college tuition, a $15 minimum wage and breaking up the big banks. It’s hard to imagine a Democratic platform more at odds with Bill Clinton’s centrist Third Way of the 1990s. More importantly, these positions increasingly reflect the popular will. Even after the brutal battles over Obamacare, polls show that more than half of Americans support moving to a single-payer healthcare system. Fifty-eight percent want to break up the big banks. Sixty-three percent support raising the minimum wage to $15. And Americans are nearly united in agreement (78 percent) that Citizens United should be overturned. What’s striking about recent polling, though, is not the support for these progressive policies (many have enjoyed widespread approval for a while), but the openness to new, radical ideas—especially among young voters. In a January YouGov poll, people under 30 rated socialism more favorably than capitalism. On the eve of the Iowa caucus, when asked how they describe themselves, 43 percent of Democratic caucusgoers chose “socialist.” Take a moment to let that sink in. This is what happens when you have a generation of young people whose central experiences with capitalism have been two recessions, a financial crisis, crushing college debt, flat wages and soaring income inequality. For young people, the devil they don’t know is looking better and better than the devil they do—and that sentiment is fueling insurgent challengers. Many of these candidates continually emphasize the need to purge U.S. politics of corporate money, starting with the Democratic Party. “It’s easy for candidates to say they’re for overturning Citizens United, but it’s really meaningless when they’re also taking so much corporate and dark money that they’ll never follow through,” says Tim Canova, who is running for Congress in Florida’s 23rd congressional district. “The Democratic Party has lost its way. It has gone corporate and Wall Street on so many issues that it has unfortunately turned its back on its own grassroots base.” And it’s more than a matter of principle: Many of these candidates believe that voters are fed up with how the corporate capture of the party has pulled it to the right. “The Democratic Party has been Lucy with the football and the voters have been Charlie Brown,” says Tom Fiegen, a candidate for Senate in Iowa. “Democrats have pulled the football away too many times, so the voters say, ‘Nope, I am not going to be tricked again. I am not going to have you lie to me and tell me you’re on my side, and then when I send you to D.C., you vote for the TPP or you vote for the Keystone Pipeline.’ ” Nowhere is this trust gap felt more keenly than among young voters. Sanders has won the support of young people like few politicians before. In each of the 27 states that held primaries or caucuses in February or March, he won the youth vote, often by more than 50 points. In his home state of Vermont, he defeated Hillary Clinton among voters under 29 by an overwhelming 95 percent to 5 percent. Tom Fiegen saw how this played out in Iowa. “In the conventions I went to,” he says, “there was probably 30 to 40 years difference in age between Bernie supporters in one half of the room and Hillary supporters in the other half of the room.” Fiegen himself has endorsed Sanders, and you can hear in his voice the same passion that has animated so many young people: “We are idealists. … We want a better world. We think we can achieve it. We’re willing to basically throw our bodies in front of the bus to do that.”
The number one lesson that everyone can learn from Bernie Sanders, and that I’ve tried to emulate, is: Tell the truth. —Tom Fiegen The challengers:
Tim Canova (FL)
Donna Edwards (MD)
Tom Fiegen (IA)
Lucy Flores (NV)
Alan Grayson (FL)
Eric Kingson (NY)
Pramila Jayapal (WA)
Susannah Randolph (FL)
Joseline Peña-Melnyk (MD)
Jamie Raskin (MD) It would be a mistake to overlook the fact that this year’s election is playing out in a moment when protest movements have interjected themselves into the national conversation in a way we haven’t seen in a long time. Black Lives Matter, Fight for 15, the climate movement and more have demonstrated the value of setting uncompromising demands and pushing the boundaries of what is politically possible. It’s no surprise then that some of these progressive challengers come directly out of protest movements. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state senator running for the 7th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, has a long history of activism and advocacy in Seattle. She founded the post-9/11 immigrant rights group Hate Free Zone (now OneAmerica), which has held massive voter registration drives. “The only reason I got into politics was because I believed it was another platform for organizing,” she says, “and that’s what I want to do with my congressional campaign. We’ve brought in thousands of leaders, young people and people of color and women who never saw themselves as part of democracy.” Joseline Peña-Melnyk, who is running for Congress in Maryland’s 4th District, says: “These movements give me hope for the future of our democracy. They show that the spirit that gave rise to the civil rights movement is still alive as people take up causes that matter and challenge the status quo.” Donna Edwards, a co-founder of the National Network to End Domestic Violence now running for Maryland’s open Senate seat, agrees. “I’ve always believed in outside movements,” she says. “Government doesn’t move effectively and elected officials don’t move effectively unless they have a big push from the outside.” Candidates like Debbie Medina, a democratic socialist running for state Senate in New York’s 18th District, are happy to be that push. As she told The Nation, “This election is just another rent strike.” Sanders himself is arguably the biggest protest candidate of them all. But a funny thing is happening: Many of the protest candidates are winning. By the middle of April, Sanders had won 16 states, as well as the Democrats abroad primary. Donna Edwards has led by as much as 6 points. Polls show Lucy Flores, a Sanders supporter running for Congress in Nevada, leading by 20 points. In Maryland’s 8th congressional district, Jamie Raskin’s two closest opponents are busy arguing over who’s in second place. For any new president to enact a progressive agenda, they’re going to need a new Congress. The establishment, however, is not going quietly. In Florida, where Tim Canova is challenging Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her congressional seat, news got out in March that the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) had denied Canova’s campaign access to the party’s voter file. His supporters created an uproar; the file is crucial to any campaign’s get-out-the-vote efforts. The FDP eventually backed down in order to avoid, in the words of the state party executive director, the “appearance of favoritism,” but the policy remains in place for all other Democratic primary challengers in Florida. And not just Florida—Democratic challengers in other states are routinely denied access to this data or charged extra for it. “The DNC and state Democratic parties must stop favoring incumbents over insurgents in Democratic primaries,” Canova says. “We need to recruit activists committed to our progressive agenda to run for office, and that includes challenging incumbent Democrats.” Given that these candidates want to rid the party of corporate influence, it’s no surprise that many are going head-to-head with big money. In Maryland, Jamie Raskin’s two biggest challengers in the Democratic primary are a wine mogul named David Trone, who has already spent more than $5 million of his fortune on the race, and Kathleen Matthews, who once oversaw the Marriott political action committee and is now herself the recipient of more lobbyist money than any Democrat running for the House in 2016. “My major opponents here have no real history of involvement in Democratic Party politics,” Raskin says. “They are creatures of the big money politics that have overtaken our country.” He’s won the endorsement of both liberal groups and a number of Democratic state lawmakers, and—borrowing a page from Sanders’ playbook—has relied on a surge of small-dollar donations to remain competitive. “Progressives are fired up here for a victory against big money,” Raskin says. In Nevada, Lucy Flores faces a multi-millionaire, Susie Lee, who has loaned her own campaign $150,000. But as Jeb Bush will tell you, money alone only gets you so far, especially in a year when voters seem more interested in authenticity. “The number one lesson that everyone can learn from Bernie Sanders,” Tom Fiegen says, “and that I’ve tried to emulate is: Tell the truth.” Donna Edwards put it this way: “We should not run away from who we are as Democrats and the values that we share. … We lose elections because our voters stay home.” For a President Sanders or a President Clinton to be successful, they’re going to need voters to come out not just in November, but in 2018, 2020, and beyond. For any president to enact a progressive agenda, they’re going to need a new Congress, made up of people like Donna Edwards, Jamie Raskin, Pramila Jayapal and others. When Barack Obama first ran for president, he spoke frequently about how his election was not about him, but us. He may have meant it, but it was hard to shake the feeling that at that moment in American history, it was in fact very much about him and the qualities he possessed. Today, when Sanders uses the same language, you believe him—if for no other reason than it’s hard to imagine a wild-haired septuagenarian in a baggy suit as the catalyst for a popular movement. Clearly, something deeper is going on. For the most part, Sanders himself has remained focused on his own election fight with Hillary Clinton. He has avoided talk of the future. But in a recent interview with Cenk Uygur of the “Young Turks,” Sanders let his guard down for a minute, saying, “We need, win or lose for me, a political revolution which starts electing people who are accountable to the working families of this country.” There it was—“electing people,” plural, not a single president. That’s what revolution looks like. These challengers are also carrying the flag of the political revolution sparked by Bernie Sanders. This Piece Originally Appeared in Christopher Hass Read the full article
#AlanGrayson#AlexandriaOcasio-Cortez#BernieSanders#democraticestablishment#DonnaEdwards#EricKingson#IlhanOmar#JamieRaskin#JoaquinVazquez#JoselinePeña-Melnyk#LucyFlores#MaggieToulouseOliver#MarieNewman#ourcandidates#PramilaJayapal#progressivecandidates#progressivecandidates2020#ProgressiveChallengers#RashidaTlaib#RoKhanna#SusannahRandolph#TimCanova#TomFiegen
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debra Impact Network Spotlight: Lindsay Martin
debra of America’s debra Impact Network is comprised of people directly affected by EB. Members include individuals with EB, or family members, who are passionate about bettering the lives of all those suffering from EB. Through education, advocacy, and outreach, Network members join debra of America in our mission to accelerate research and create real improvements for all those living with the disease.
The debra Impact Network Spotlight blog series features the amazing individuals who make up the Network. Today’s post shines a spotlight on new debra Impact Network member, Lindsay Martin, who lives with EB Simplex. Get to know Lindsay below!
1. Tell us a bit about yourself!
My name is Lindsay Martin and I have EB Simplex. I’m 25 years old and I live in Los Angeles, CA and I make a career as a Drummer! I was born in Burlington, Vermont and I’m a twin. My fraternal sister does not have EB. My family moved from VT to a farm in Upstate New York where I grew up. I grew up fishing, dirt-biking, off-road go-karts, 4-wheeling with ATVs. I played 2 varsity sports: softball and cross-country running.
I was accepted into the University of Southern California (USC) Popular Music program as 1 of 25 accepted out of a pool of over 3,000 applicants. At the age of 19, I was cast on an episode of Glee! playing drums and I’ve never looked back! (Check out a clip from the show here.)
I am very active in the gym and super passionate about health and nutrition. I really look forward to having an opportunity to share my story and hopefully inspire others. My parents always encouraged me to do my best, go for it, adapt and overcome, find a way, fight through it… As a result of that, I did a lot of things in spite of having EB.
2. In what ways has your life been shaped by your EB?
It’s made me who I am today. I’ve become stronger and tougher mentally, and it’s taught me to never let something “different” hold me back or question myself.
It’s taught me about courage and being you… and to never let something that isn’t considered “normal” by societal standards make me feel any different or less. Of course, I’ve had many times when I had blisters, small, big, scabbed over, infected, etc. all on my neck, arms, face, etc. They’re in places right where people can see them and never at a convenient time. But that’s who I am and it’s what makes me “Me”, period. I’ve realized that people love me for who I am as a person and not what I look like.
Yes, I’ve had my times of asking myself, “Why me?”, but I believe that it’s because I can handle it. I have not, and will not, allow EB to define who I am or what I can do.
3. What are some challenges that you’ve faced and/or lessons that you’ve learned growing up with EB? How were you able to overcome those challenges?
Challenges:
I’ve been in severe pain (when I was younger) and I would be bandaged and wrapped head to toe. I’ve been picked on, bullied, and harassed. I’d have to sit out on events, activities, etc. because I would be in too much pain or just was afraid of getting hurt and seen with blisters on my body… But all that was then. My EB got better once I was around 13 or 14 years old. I started playing softball at age 7, piano at age 6, drums at age 9, riding a dirt bike at age 11. Yes, certain activities would cause blisters and it be super painful, but I never let it stop me because I absolutely loved doing what I was doing and was determined to never be held back by EB.
Lessons:
You’re given this disorder for a reason and the best way to make the situation easier is to accept and embrace it. Your differences and imperfections make you unique.
How I overcame the challenges:
I learned to accept and embrace my EB. I’m going to be in pain, and I may have to simplify doing certain activities or sitting things out… and that’s OK! And just because I have blisters on my face or somewhere else where people can see… it’s OK! That’s what makes me ‘me’… unique and different!
4. Please tell us about your music and its impact on your life. When did you start to play the drums? What motivated you to stick with it? How was EB impacted your music and how has music impacted how you deal with your EB?
Music rescued me. Once I started playing drums, I knew no one could bother me or tease me. It became my true passion. Once I started getting really good, I noticed something: I was always me, EB or not. My skills at the drum set made people see me as they always did. Drums became my everything.
Like anything else, finding your passion is one thing. Being absorbed in it, obsessed, to want to make a living at it, meant hard work, devotion, pain, disappointment, and more and more practice which always means blisters. Soon, the blistering on my hands and feet became calloused. When I was younger, and I felt like I couldn’t speak, being my true authentic self, or communicate, drumming was my voice… It was a way to express myself without having to talk. And now, I love entertaining!
My dad introduced me to the drums when I was 9 years old and I knew since the first time I played that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. Some of my favorite bands are Motley Crue, Led Zeppelin, Lana Del Rey, Cardi B, and more.
[I stuck with drumming because it] just gave me this feeling, rush, euphoria that nothing else in life could. In the beginning, drumming was the way I was able to communicate and express myself (I was very shy person) and it was a way to work through my pain from being bullied and confusion as to why I had this disorder, as well as to overcome my shyness. Now, it’s my love and obsession. I can’t imagine my life without it. And is literally my favorite thing in the entire world.
[EB impacted my music because] my hands and feet are extremely calloused due to the amount of practicing and playing I do. I can’t scrub that stuff off because it provides me a layer of protection. There are also days when I physically cannot play just because it hurts so much. At night, I will put Vaseline all over my hands and put gloves on them because they hurt so bad and I need to have them absorb as much as that stuff as possible to ease the pain.
[Music impacted my EB because music is] my voice. My everything. It gotten me through dark times and really has helped me accept myself and it has taught me that having EB is OK and it makes me, ME! It’s provided me with a sense of purpose.
5. What inspired you to help spread EB awareness (and join the debra Impact Network)? What do you hope to accomplish by teaching others about EB?
The other day, I had a really bad outbreak on my face and neck and a lot of people were asking me about it. And at that moment, something inside of me just clicked. Epiphany, maybe? And I decided I wanted to speak and share my story. To share my story that it’s OK to have ‘something’ and to be perceived as ‘different’. As I work on creating a name for myself in LA as a Drummer, I want to use the same type of platform and hopefully use my voice to spread EB awareness. For several years now, I’ve been a big advocate for females and drumming; that it’s not only for guys.
[By teaching others about EB,] I want to get the word out and inform others who don’t know about EB, and to educate and get more people involved. I’d like for more people to be aware of such an awful disease. I also want to have the opportunity to share my life and experiences with other EB folks or parents with kids that have EB. My parents let me play, fall down, get hurt, scuff my knees in the dirt. They never made me feel like I was different or wasn’t capable of doing something just because I had EB. And if I got cuts, blisters, etc., I just required little bit of extra care afterwards.
6. What advice would you give to others, especially younger individuals, who struggle with EB?
Don’t let EB ever hold you back, discourage, or make you feel any different or less special. You are unique, beautiful, and special in your own way. Whether you have Simplex, Junctional, or Dystrophic, I believe EB is something we were all given for a reason. And I believe that in order to live your best life and to not let having this disease bring you down, you need to accept, embrace, and love yourself for who you truly are. Embrace the blisters. Continue to shine and let the world know who you are. We are the chosen few that have EB; because we are special. We can handle it. We can live a wonderful life in spite of EB.
Thank you, Lindsay, for sharing your story! You can catch Lindsay on MTV’s The Hills this summer. If you’d like to connect with Lindsay, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram or email [email protected] with your comments or questions for her!
To learn more about the debra Impact Network, please click here.
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Defining Your Gaming Pc Requirements
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Nell Bang-Jensen
Hometown?
Burlington, VT.
Where are you now?
Based in Philadelphia, PA.
What's your current project?
Right now I'm a Director-in-Residence at Carleton College, representing Pig Iron Theatre Company. I'm working with students to devise an original play about technology, that uses no technology. It's a melodrama, performed under clip lights, that uses mimed screens and devices as a metaphor to explore missed and made connections.
Why and how did you get into theatre?
Like almost everyone on this blog, I started out acting in plays in elementary, middle and high school. I was living outside of New York at the time and loved the magic of theater. I have a vivid memory of seeing Les Miserables (my first Broadway show) for my 10th birthday and coming out of the theater to discover it was snowing. I remember feeling in that moment that everything felt heightened and more alive. The school theater departments I was part of were not particularly inspirational (I had a director in high school who would determine casting by lining us up by height to ensure the female lead was not taller than the male lead!) but while at Swarthmore College, I discovered devising (in particular, Pig Iron), and fell in love with the idea that new theater could be created from the people in the room. That kind of authorship was exciting to me.
What is your directing dream project?
I like art-making in collaboration with members of a community, and because of that, I don't go into shows with many prescribed ideas. One of my directing dream projects is currently underway. It is a devised piece I'm making with Philadelphia boys ages 10-12 years old to explore what masculinity looks like to a new generation. Through a process of story circles, we're exploring what it means to project yourself onto ideals of manhood in an era when gender is fluid and masculinity is often villainized.
What kind of theatre excites you?
I like theater that's like a parade. Since a young age, parades have made me cry; I think the effort of people coming together to create a spectacle that is totally superfluous is undeniably beautiful. The theater I love celebrates this kind of civic engagement. It is virtuosic and transcendent, or if not those things, hilarious, awkward and bumbling. It shakes us from our daily reality. It unsettles and awakens in a communal space.
What do you want to change about theatre today?
I want to challenge the binary of who is an artist and who is not. I want us all to have more resources to do our work, and even if we don't, operate from a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity. I want more transparency, more equity, more inclusivity, more accessibility. I want us to get rid of expectations for how audiences should or should not behave. What is your opinion on getting a directing MFA?
I think if someone wants to take time to work on their craft in a concentrated environment, an MFA is a great option. I also don't think anyone should feel they have to do that---there aren't hard and fast rules for anyone's career.
Who are your theatrical heroes?
Pig Iron Theater, Lear deBessonet, Cornerstone Theater, Maria Goyanes, Emilya Cachapero, Joseph Papp, Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins, Becky Wright, my fellow rising artistic leaders in my TCG Leadership U cohort, and SO MANY MORE. Anyone who is able to clarify their values and then enact those values in their work.
Any advice for directors just starting out?
Go see a lot of plays and talk about them. Work with people you actually like being around.
Plugs!
I was just given a Next Stage Director's residency through the Drama League and am developing Nosejob (working title), a devised play chronicling twelve centuries of consent, power and penance, as told by 9th century nuns and a contemporary football team. I'm really excited about it.
People can also check out my website at www.nellbangjensen.com
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Jai Wolf Announces Debut Album, Drops First Two Singles & Tour Dates
For the most part, Jai Wolf took 2018 off. Apart from releasing “Lost” with Chelsea Jade and its accompanying remixes, Jai didn’t tour for all of 2018 and didn’t release any other music. For EDM artists, for whom releasing music consistently is arguably more important than in other genres in order to stay in a DJ’s song rotation, the move could only mean one thing: something bigger was on the horizon.
Sure enough, today Jai Wolf announced his debut album, The Cure To Loneliness. From the pre-order, we know that the album will be 12 tracks and will be released on April 5. Along with the album announce, the first two singles from the album were also released today, “Lose My Mind” featuring Mr Gabriel, and “Telepathy.”
Considering “Indian Summer” is Jai Wolf’s biggest song ever, most fans will naturally gravitate toward “Telepathy” first. It has those recognizable guitar plucks and dreamy synths with chopped vocals that Jai Wolf fans know and love. It’s sure to be a high point on his upcoming tour – we’ll get to that in a second. But before that, we have to address the other new song “Lose My Mind.”
This is the one that a lot of Jai Wolf fans could end up scratching their head at. Right off the bat, it’s clear to hear that this isn’t like any other Jai Wolf track we’ve known thus far. The drums and guitar immediately give the impression of a pop alt track, and as soon as the vocal croons comes in, there’s no doubting it. This is a new style for Jai Wolf, coming off like a combination of Capital Cities and M83. It’s not immediately apparent if this is a one-off on the album or a sign of things to come, but our interest is definitely piqued.
“In my heart, this album is me,” professes Jai Wolf. “From the sounds to the lyrics, it’s everything that I’ve always wanted to do.
“I like writing songs that have a duality, a complexity of feeling that takes you to a melancholy, reflective space. My music is for people who are desperately dreaming beyond where they are at right now—it can be the future, it can be the past. I want you to feel nostalgic. I want you to reflect on your life. I also want you to be inspired about where your life could go.”
“Lose My Mind” also comes with a new music video, which you can watch here. Pre-order The Cure To Loneliness here.
The album announcement and new music also comes with a tour announcement. Jai Wolf will be kicking off the tour in April at 9:30 Club in Washington, DC five days after the album drops, and it’ll end at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Tickets will be available to the public on January 18 at jaiwolf.co/TCTLtour.
TOUR DATES: 4/10 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club 4/11 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer 4/12 – Boston, MA – House of Blues 4/13 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 4/17 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Ballroom 4/18 – Montreal, QC – Theatre Fairmount 4/19 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground 4/20 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre 4/21 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection 4/23 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone 4/24 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue 4/25 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre 4/26 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall 4/27 – Minneapolis, MN – The Loft at Skyway Theatre 5/1 – Kansas City, MO – The Truman 5/2 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre 5/4 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot 5/5 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House 5/6 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma 5/8 – Vancouver, BC – VENUE 5/9 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo 5/10 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theatre 5/11 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre 5/14 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theatre 5/15 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades 5/16 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst 5/17 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield 6/1 – Los Angeles, CA – Shrine Expo Hall
This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Jai Wolf Announces Debut Album, Drops First Two Singles & Tour Dates
source https://www.youredm.com/2019/01/14/jai-wolf-announces-debut-album-drops-first-two-singles-tour-dates/
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6 Things You Can Do With Vinyl Lettering
Vinyl lettering is an inexpensive and versatile form of signage. Not sure how to use vinyl lettering in your New York or Vermont business? Here are six ideas for you:
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Vinyl lettering is easy to adhere to surfaces and—provided you hire a reputable local signage company to make them for you—peel off easily without damaging the surface.
3. Vinyl Lettering Is Great At Conveying Directional Information.
Whether it’s on a wall, window, or other surface, vinyl lettering is great for directional or wayfinding information.
4. Vinyl Lettering Is Great For Temporary Information.
Is the parking lot outside your Burlington business closed for repaving? Adhering the letters “CLOSED” over your parking lot sign will do the trick until the work is done.
5. Vinyl Lettering Can Be Applied To Work Vehicles.
If you manage a business in Ticonderoga with one or more vehicles, you should really use vehicle graphics or lettering to identify your vehicles, make them look professional, and promote yourself everywhere you drive.
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[caption id="attachment_65188" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photos (clockwise from top left): Big Sur International Marathon, Vermont City Marathon, Los Angeles Marathon, Grandma's Marathon — Duluth, Inc.[/caption] When it comes to spring marathons, the iconic Boston Marathon is always the pinnacle event of the season. But it’s not the only time runners around the country will lace up to cover 26.2 miles by foot and inspire along the way. These top 15 U.S. spring marathons (listed by date, from mid-March to early June, 2017) are all perfect opportunities for runners to prove there’s no such thing as a spring break. RELATED: Winter Running Guide: How to Run Faster by Spring
15 Spring Marathons We Love
[caption id="attachment_23693" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series[/caption]
1. Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon
Location: New Orleans, LA Date: Sunday March 4, 2018 Keep the Mardi Gras spirit going at the flat and fast Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon. It’s a big (and somewhat easy) tour through the Big Easy — with the party vibes of the French Quarter, the history of Treme and the natural beauty of City Park setting the tone. Like the many other Rock ‘n’ Roll events, expect a highly-organized race with lots of serious and just-for-fun racers. The only question is — will you stop for beignets from Cafe Du Monde before, during or after the run? There’s also a half-marathon, 10K and 5K taking place the same weekend. RELATED: The 50 Best Half-Marathons in the U.S. [caption id="attachment_65044" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Los Angeles Marathon[/caption]
2. Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon
Location: Los Angeles, CA Date: Sunday, March 18, 2018 Join more than 24,000 runners at the Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon, one of the largest marathons in the country. The point-to-point, net downhill course starts at Dodger Stadium (the oldest ballpark in the MLB) for a tour across La La Land, and finishes steps from the Santa Monica Pier. Along the way, keep an eye out for star sightings through the city’s vibrant neighborhoods including Echo Park, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and more. Fans of this marathon say it’s the awesome crowd support “from the stadium to the sea” that will make you feel like the real celebrity. [caption id="attachment_24167" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Yuengling Shamrock Marathon[/caption]
3. Yuengling Shamrock Marathon
Location: Virginia Beach, VA Date: Sunday, March 18, 2018 It might not be ideal beach weather, but the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon has welcomed a wee clan of more than 4,000 marathoners to its fast, flat resort town every St. Patrick’s Day weekend since 1973. The BQ (Boston Qualifying) course will take you past historic hotspots like Cape Henry Lighthouse and along the famous beach boardwalk. More than 22,000 other runners and walkers join in the rest of the weekend festivities — a half-marathon, marathon relay, 8K and “Leprechaun Dash.” Celebrate with a jig and a swig at the post-race party with live music, Irish stew and — what else? — ice cold Yuengling. [caption id="attachment_65045" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Boston Marathon[/caption]
4. Boston Marathon
Location: Hopkinton, MA Date: Monday, April 16, 2018 The Boston Marathon is the big leagues. It’s a pilgrimage for runners and often a lifelong quest to even qualify — because you’ve got to be wicked fast. Even after the bombing in 2013, Marathon Monday (which falls on Patriots’ Day each year), continues to feel like a city-wide party. Now celebrating 122 years, it’s the world’s oldest annually contested marathon. The 30,000 runners will once again head out to the starting line in Hopkinton, conquer the challenging Heartbreak Hill and finally, cross the iconic finish line on Boylston Street. RELATED: How to Run the Boston Marathon Like a Pro [caption id="attachment_24171" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Kemper Mills Fant Photography[/caption]
5. Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon
Location: Roanoke, VA Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018 Like rolling hills? You better if you want to run the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon — hailed as “America’s Toughest Road Marathon” and featured on many race bucket lists. A group of 750 runners will face 7,430 feet of total elevation change over the course (more than any other road marathon in the country), with three huge climbs and descents. So how do runners endure the killer ups and downs? Because they know the most breathtaking views of the region’s mountains and valleys are (of course) best seen from the top. There’s also a half-marathon or 10K option available the same day. [caption id="attachment_65046" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Derby Festival MiniMarathon/Marathon[/caption]
6. Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
Location: Louisville, KY Date: Saturday, April 28, 2018 And they’re off — the 3,000 runners at the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon that is! Once they’re out of the gates, marathoners will take on the BQ course that includes a hilly section through Iroquois Park around mile 12 and a quick trot through the infield of the historic Churchill Downs. Spectators, we suggest you grab a mint julep and place your bets before the finishers come down the final stretch into downtown Louisville. The largest day of road racing in Kentucky history, this weekend also includes a half-marathon and team relay marathon. [caption id="attachment_65047" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Big Sur International Marathon[/caption]
7. Big Sur International Marathon
Location: Carmel, CA Date: Sunday, April 29, 2018 It’s no surprise to see Big Sur International Marathon, the largest rural marathon in the world, on this list. It’s been popular for more than 30 years, thanks to a stunning point-to-point course that runs along scenic Highway 1. It touches seven state parks, crosses the iconic Bixby Bridge and features 13 significant hills in the back half. Perhaps the 4,500 runners are too distracted by the sweeping Pacific Ocean views and Redwood forests to notice? With additional race distances suited for everyone (from the 3K kids run to a 21-miler) and plenty to do around the Monterey Bay area, we’ll add this at the top of our spring getaway list, too. RELATED: The 30 Best Marathons in the Entire World [caption id="attachment_65048" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon[/caption]
8. Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon
Location: Monmouth, NJ Date: Sunday, April 29, 2018 If you’re looking for a fast, flat, beginner-friendly and BQ-friendly race, then, “baby, you were born to run” the Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon. Not without a few sharp turns, this course takes you through a stunning stretch of the Jersey Shore. The race starts at Monmouth Park Racetrack and meanders through some small town neighborhoods before heading south. At the turnaround point, near mile 19 in Asbury Park, you’ll have the Atlantic Ocean views to take your mind off of hitting any walls. The crowds come out to cheer you on in the final stretch — along the boardwalk in Long Branch. The weekend’s events also include a half-marathon, relay and 5K. RELATED: 5 Running Tweaks That Took an Hour Off My Marathon Time [caption id="attachment_65049" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Flying Pig Marathon[/caption]
9. Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
Location: Cincinnati, OH Date: Sunday, May 6, 2018 It started out as an idea scribbled on a bar napkin by some local runners in 1999. Today the annual Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon has reached new heights as part of one of the largest running events in the country. Nearly 5,000 marathoners will cover the beautiful BQ course which “flies” through the “Queen City” and over the bridges of the Ohio River — all with 150,000 enthusiastic spectators rooting them on. And what other race can claim a bacon stop at mile 15? The weekend also includes a half, relay, 10K, the Flying Piglet kids fun run and more. RELATED: The 10 Best Races That Are Fit for Foodies [caption id="attachment_65050" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Vermont City Marathon[/caption]
10. KeyBank Vermont City Marathon
Location: Burlington, VT Date: Sunday, May 27, 2018 If you’re going to run 26.2 miles through Ben & Jerry’s country, you deserve extra scoops at the end of the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon. And that’s not the only treat for the 3,600 marathons who take on the BQ course. The charming streets of downtown Burlington, sparkling waters of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack and Green Mountains set the scene. Shaped like a clover leaf, the race is very spectator-friendly. And runners, you’ll be thankful for them, especially during the epic climb at mile 15, casually referred to the “Assault on Battery.” There’s also a relay option available, if you want to split the distance (and share that ice cream). RELATED: 15 Fun, Fast and Beginner-Friendly Marathons [caption id="attachment_65051" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Newport Marathon[/caption]
11. Newport Marathon
Location: Newport, OR Date: Saturday, June 2, 2018 Whether you want to run your first marathon or earn a BQ, you can do it at the Newport Marathon in the heart of Oregon’s central coast. According to race officials, almost half of all 1,000 participants earn personal records (PRs) at the non-profit race. There’s only one catch: You better like oysters, because you’ll be encouraged to slurp ‘em down at miles 11 and 19 of the flat. You’ll also trek through some of the most picturesque neighborhoods and fishing villages along the bay, with only a few gentle rolling hills and one short steep hill (mile 4!) along the way. Then it’s flat to the finish, where runners earn the unique recycled glass medal. [caption id="attachment_65052" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon[/caption]
12. Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon
Location: Deadwood, SD Date: Sunday, June 3, 2018 The Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon has been called the “best kept secret in marathoning.” Well, we can’t wait to tell you about the invigorating point-to-point BQ course of the largest trail marathon in the country. The first 1.5 road miles start in the old mining town of Rochford and lead 500 marathoners to the start of the Mickelson Trail, through the land of the Lakota Sioux. Here they’ll cover a mix of small climbs and flat ground in the first half and a huge stretch of downhill (especially mile 19 to 20) before coming to the end of the trail. It’s not necessarily a fast course, but if you want the thrill of trail running (meadows, forests, babbling brooks and lots of mud) in a marathon setting, this race is for you. RELATED: 14 Trail Running Adventures to Try Before You Die [caption id="attachment_65053" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association[/caption]
13. Steamboat Marathon
Location: Steamboat Springs, CO Date: Sunday, June 3, 2018 For more than 35 years, the Steamboat Marathon’s warm hospitality has welcomed 500 marathoners to experience a beautiful BQ course along the Elk River. The net downhill course, with majestic views of the snowcapped Rockies, isn’t for everyone though. With rolling hills, steep descents and a five-hour time limit, it’s a tough one for walkers or those who aren’t used to altitude. But there’s also a half-marathon and 10K available. Everyone can soak up their accomplishments post-race with a dip in one of the area’s historic hot springs. RELATED: 15 Races for People Who’d Rather Walk Than Run [caption id="attachment_65054" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Grandma's Marathon - Duluth, Inc.[/caption]
14. Grandma’s Marathon
Location: Duluth, MN Date: Saturday, June 16, 2018 How can you say anything bad about Grandma’s? It’s a small town race, with big-time popularity. Since 1977, this annual race has drawn 9,000 marathons to the North Shore of Minnesota. From super organization, to the vast views of Lake Superior along Old Highway 61 (and 32 rivers, creeks and stream crossings along the way), to the enthusiastic crowd support, it’s easy to see why. The point-to-point, waterfront course is pretty flat — just a few gentle hills and one bigger one at mile 22 — so it’s a great choice for beginners, PR-seekers or those who crave a quick swim after the finish line. The weekend’s events also include a half-marathon and 5K. [caption id="attachment_65055" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon[/caption]
15. Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon
Location: Anchorage, AK Date: Saturday, June 23, 2018 With all the extra daylight to spare around the summer solstice, why wouldn’t you run a full marathon in Alaska? For many past participants, the Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon is a destination that’s well worth the trip. The certified course is a mix of bike trails, rocky gravel and paved roads that keep you and about 1,000 other runners guessing. Take in the natural beauty (and maybe a moose sighting or two!) as you meet people from all over the world — all coming together to spend the longest day of the year doing what they love best. On the selection process: We spent a lot of time reading online participant reviews and soliciting input from our own editorial team, as well as running contacts from around the country. When it came down to the tough choices, we went with picks based on positive reviews, reputation, popularity and the unique value they offer to the runner. We create these lists to not only feature some of the always-popular, bucket list races, but to shine a light on some newer, smaller or challenging races that offer the participant something off the beaten path. Originally published February 2014. Updated January 2018. Read More The Best Fall Marathons in the U.S. Why I Started Running — And Never Stopped 50 Running Resources for Speed, Strength and Nutrition
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11/28/17: Walden School, Burlington, VT
Welp, it’s now 9:05pm and I’ve been up since 3:35am.
I had to fly from Syracuse to NYC and then to Burlington today, which meant a whole lot of traveling. Like 7 hours of it. All before 11am. So I’m a little burnt.
And yet, today was just lovely. Got into Burlington around 11am and Kirsch, one of my bestest friends from NU, picked me up from the airport. We drove over to his apartment, and then walked down to the Ben and Jerry’s store immediately. If you don’t know, the Ben and Jerry’s factory is here in Burlington, so people are kinda into it.
At the store we bought SIX (yes, 6) pints of creamy cream, and then headed over to the nearby Peace and Justice Center, where my screening was being hosted today. Although I would’ve loved to eat all the ice cream ourselves, we held back enough to share with the 16 students in his program that came to watch the film. But that being said, my first meal ever in Vermont was, in fact, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Pretty proud of that.
Anyhoo, the second-most important thing after the ice cream today was the screening. The students were from the Walden Project, an alternative school that Kirsch’s boss Matt Schlein started about 18 years ago that focuses on writing, philosophy, and environmental studies. The students were all 16 and 17, my first high school audience. It was definitely a different discussion afterwards; while the college audiences have been mostly interested in discussing the complex ideas around climate change and racism and politics, and the middle schoolers I screened it for were more idealistic and excited to take on the world, the high schoolers fell somewhere in between. Some were adamant that people can change things if they are passionate about a cause and share that passion, but others were more skeptical. When Matt asked the class what they think it would take to inspire them to get engaged with the climate movement, one girl said “I just don’t feel like I could make a change”; another talked about how she thought it was important for young people to educate themselves about issues now so they can make better choices “when they’re older”.
It definitely made me a little sad to hear these young people already feeling so disempowered, but then I realized that that’s just the message we’re taught as young people; the “adults” make the decisions, and we just have to deal with them until we’re old enough and smart enough to take over. But as I’ve learned in the last few years, that’s just not true. Adults don’t know jack shit more than young people about how to solve a problem like climate change. Sure, they might know more about the science or the history or the policies, but they definitely don’t know any more about what’s gonna work and what won’t. And maybe because they’ve spent more time in the system, they actually have a harder time than young people seeing new possibilities.
So I tried to respond with exactly that message: we are told that we can’t do anything, but the reality is that these decisions impact us the most, and it’s our right to have a say. In fact, we have just as many valuable things to contribute as any older person. And there are young people from every country on Earth that are fighting to mobilize their communities and have a voice. So it is possible, and it is necessary for young people to lead the movement.
I understand that high school student cynicism; I still have a little bit of that auto-critique impulse in me now. But I hope that people like Kirsch and I, young activists ourselves with opportunities to talk to high schoolers, can be role models to show them that they are wanted and needed in this movement, and that we all have WAY more power than we think.
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The Daily 202: ‘A product of the 9/11 generation’: Pete Buttigieg leans into his youth as he outlines a foreign policy
With Joanie Greve and Mariana Alfaro
THE BIG IDEA: When Pete Buttigieg was born in 1982, Ronald Reagan was president. Joe Biden had been in the Senate for a decade, Bernie Sanders was mayor of Burlington, Vt., and Donald Trump was a Democrat.
The 37-year-old, who is polling in the top tier of Democratic presidential candidates, was a sophomore at Harvard when the twin towers fell on Sept. 11, 2001. He debated with classmates whether the United States should invade Iraq as Mark Zuckerberg wrote the code for what would become Facebook in a dorm across the street. Buttigieg missed his 10-year college reunion because he was deployed to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, serving as an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve.
Buttigieg invoked 9/11 seven times during a 57-minute speech on Tuesday that sketched out his vision for foreign policy and national security. “As a mayor from the industrial Midwest, as a product of the 9/11 generation and as a veteran of the Afghanistan conflict, my own worldview is shaped, predictably, by my life experience,” he explained to a full auditorium at Indiana University in Bloomington.
The man who could become America’s first openly gay president is also the first member of “the 9/11 generation” to credibly contend for a major party’s nomination. Marco Rubio, as a point of comparison, was the youthful candidate in 2016. But he was already in his 30s and serving in the Florida House on Sept. 11. In contrast, Buttigieg recalled reading “The End of History” by Francis Fukuyama when he arrived in college in the autumn of 2000. By the time he finished his studies at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in 2007, that argument seemed tragically quaint and America was mired in two quagmires.
“I fear that someday soon we may receive news of the first U.S. casualty of the 9/11 wars who was born after 9/11,” he said on Tuesday. “None of us will live to see the end of history.”
— Buttigieg delivered this speech — his first significant policy address — to blunt the nagging criticism from major donors, media elites and naysayers in the Democratic firmament that he’s too young and inexperienced to become commander in chief. And he’s still got his work cut out for him on that front. This is a second-term mayor of Indiana’s fourth-biggest city, population 101,081. I’d be hugely impressed if you’re not a Hoosier and could name the mayors of Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Evansville.
Buttigieg finished third in the DNC chairman’s race just last year and was almost entirely unknown a few months ago beyond a small cadre of political reporters cultivated by his team. One of the reasons he’s running for president is because he’s probably too liberal to win statewide in a place as red as Indiana has become. In 2010, Buttigieg ran for state treasurer and lost by 25 points to Richard Mourdock. That’s the Republican who would lose a U.S. Senate race two years later after declaring that a woman who gets pregnant by her rapist is carrying a “gift from God” and thus must have the child.
In the early months of his campaign, Buttigieg has faced questions about whether he’s leaned too much on his personality and not talked enough about substance. You probably know he speaks several languages and learned Norwegian so he could read more books by an author he liked, but you might struggle to explain where he comes down on the major litmus tests that have characterized the early stages of the nominating contest.
Pete Buttigieg is driven to a fundraiser in West Hollywood, Calif. (Allison Zaucha for The Washington Post)
— Buttigieg seems determined to avoid the fate of Gary Hart — the 1984 version who took on former vice president Walter Mondale, not the 1988 iteration brought down by whatever hanky-panky happened aboard the Monkey Business. He spent weeks working with a growing kitchen cabinet of volunteer advisers, including several alumni of Barack Obama’s administration, to craft a meaty speech that could show there’s beef in that patty.
So, rather than apologize for his youth, the boy mayor leaned into it. A recurring trope of the speech was that Americans should be thinking about what they want the country to look like in 2054. It’s no coincidence that this is when Buttigieg will turn 72, the age of the current president. (Trump turns 73 on Friday.)
“Thinking about the world three to four decades from now is exactly how we need to compete with countries like China, because that is how they are thinking, planning and investing,” he said.
Buttigieg used the word “future” a dozen times. “We face not just another presidential election, but a transition between one era and another,” he said. “I believe that the next three or four years will determine the next 30 or 40 for our country and our world.”
Among other things, he said, this requires a modernized approach to defense spending and rethinking the priorities of the past. “The U.S. has long sought to maintain total dominance in conventional war. But in the coming decades, we are more likely than ever to face insurgencies, asymmetric attacks and high-tech strikes with cyberweapons or drones,” Buttigieg said. “Yet our latest defense budget calls for spending more on three Virginia-class submarines — $10.2 billion — than on cyberdefenses. It proposes spending more on a single frigate than on artificial intelligence and machine learning.”
— Without naming names, Buttigieg chastised the old guard of the Democratic Party. “I should acknowledge that, for the better part of my lifetime, it has been difficult to identify a consistent foreign policy in the Democratic Party,” he said. “We see leaders promise, again and again, to end the forever wars — only to fall short.”
He endorsed efforts to rescind the authorization for the use of military force that passed after 9/11. “As someone … who believed, back in 2014, that our involvement in Afghanistan was coming to an end and that I was one of the last to turn out the lights,” the mayor said, “the time has come for Congress to repeal and replace that blank check on the use of force and ensure a robust debate on future operations.”
Buttigieg speaks Tuesday at Indiana University. (Michael Conroy/AP)
— Trump never delivered a speech this substantive before locking up the GOP nomination in 2016. The transcript of Buttigieg’s remarks runs over 7,500 words. He spoke with moral clarity about human rights abuses that the Trump administration has sought to sweep under the rug, specifically involving Saudi Arabia and the president’s refusal to hold the regime accountable for the murder of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi. He said military intervention in Venezuela and Iran would not be in the national interest. He promised to recommit to the nuclear agreement with Tehran and the climate accord signed in Paris.
He covered all the major flash points like Israel (he was critical of Bibi Netanyahu but supportive of Israel) but also discussed areas that get less attention, such as Africa. “In Algeria, a new generation has risen up against a sclerotic government,” he said. “In Sudan, women have led a revolt against a criminal one. And, in Ethiopia, we have seen what it looks like when hope triumphs over hostility. By 2025, nearly one-fifth of the world’s population will live in the nations of a rising Africa: 60 percent of whose people are now under the age of 25. … As African peoples demand greater accountability and transparency from their leaders, the United States must stand ready to put our values into action, to promote empowerment alongside economic engagement.”
He never named Trump, but he sure trolled him. On North Korea, for example, he said, “You will not see me exchanging love letters on White House letterhead with a brutal dictator who starves and murders his own people.”
On the other hand, Buttigieg favorably quoted traditional Republicans such as Dwight Eisenhower. He was also unequivocal in expressing support for the concept of “American exceptionalism,” something that has tripped up so many on the left in recent decades. And he paid tribute to Dick Lugar by comparing himself to the late GOP senator, who earned bipartisan plaudits for his work on arms control and nuclear nonproliferation. “What’s not to like,” Buttigieg joked, “about a onetime mayor from Indiana who cut his teeth as a Rhodes Scholar and a Navy intelligence officer?”
He didn’t name Reagan, but he spoke of the need for America to again be that shining city upon the hill. “At home and abroad, it is not too late for America to restore her leadership position as a beacon of values that are both universal and at the core of the American project,” Buttigieg said. “It is hard to stand for human rights abroad when we’re turning away asylum seekers at our own borders. … The idea that the ‘American way’ is superior will be difficult to authenticate as long as our federal government is liable to shut down over policy disagreements. … Strength is more than military power. It’s our power of inspiration.”
Bernie Sanders campaigns on Sunday at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa. (Eileen Meslar/Telegraph Herald/AP)
— Sanders will deliver a speech this afternoon at George Washington University that tries to contextualize “democratic socialism” as the natural evolution of the New Deal. Just as Henry Wallace sought to do during the 1948 campaign, he will claim the mantle of Franklin Roosevelt and present himself as a rightful heir to the 32nd president.
“In the second decade of the 21st century, we must take up the unfinished business of the New Deal and carry it to completion,” Sanders plans to say, according to early excerpts shared by his campaign. “Today, we guarantee civil rights and equal rights because we understand that racism and discrimination cannot exist in a truly free society. Now we must take the next step forward and guarantee every man, woman and child in our country basic economic rights – the right to quality health care, the right to as much education as one needs to succeed in our society, the right to a decent job, the right to affordable housing, the right to a secure retirement and the right to live in a clean environment. We must recognize that … economic rights are human rights. This is what I mean by democratic socialism.”
FDR was president when Sanders, 77, was born in September 1941, before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Ditto with Biden, 76, who was born in November 1942. Trump was born in June 1946. Technically, unlike the president, Sanders and Biden do not qualify as baby boomers because they were already alive when the war ended. But all three can be grouped together as part of the Vietnam generation. None of the three served in the military. The last few years have illustrated that age does not necessarily equate with maturity. Perhaps there’s a correlation, but septuagenarians can behave every bit as much like teenagers as tricenarians.
MORE ON 2020:
— Biden and Trump spent yesterday exchanging insults in Iowa, previewing the one-on-one campaign they both crave. Matt Viser, John Wagner and Jenna Johnson report: “Biden questioned the president’s intelligence and challenged his morals. By turns chiding and goading, Biden, whose speeches can sometimes ramble and meander, offered one of his most coherent rationales for seeking the presidency. ‘The president is literally an existential threat to America,’ Biden said in Ottumwa, the first of several events in Iowa in which he delivered a multipronged indictment of Trump’s policies, values and character.
“Trump, who has repeatedly brushed aside the advice of aides who warn against elevating Biden by attacking him, responded with the plain-spoken vitriol that built his political brand. He pointed to Biden’s dismal finish in the 2008 presidential campaign, saying Barack Obama ‘took him off the trash heap’ by making Biden his running mate, and suggesting the former vice president has lost a step. ‘He’s a different guy,’ Trump said as he left the White House for Iowa. ‘He looks different than he used to. He acts different than he used to. He’s even slower than he used to be. … Biden is a dummy.'”
— This showdown between��two men who’ve been in the public eye for decades, raises a new question: What can either contender tell voters about the other that they don’t already know? Politico’s John F. Harris riffs: “Both men, of course, believe the answer is plenty. It made for an arresting few hours in the narrative wars on which modern presidential campaigns are waged — an exercise that seemed as much about psychological intimidation as political persuasion. In both cases, Biden and Trump with their mockery and insults seemed determined to get in each other’s head as much as in voters’. And in both cases, the message was a variant of ‘It’s getting late in the day for you, old man.’ … Above all, [Biden] said Trump is too self-absorbed to care about ordinary people: ‘Donald, it’s not about you — it’s about America.’ For his part, Trump didn’t stop at saying Biden’s message is old and tired. He said the Democrat’s physical and mental faculties are the same, dispensing almost entirely with euphemism and indirection.”
— Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) was not allowed on Air Force One for the president’s trip to Iowa. CNN’s Jeff Zeleny reports: “King, who represents the state’s 4th District in Western Iowa, asked the White House to join the President’s entourage, but administration officials rejected the request . … Republican Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Deb Fischer of Nebraska joined Trump aboard Air Force One. Ernst had not been planning to travel with the President, citing her voting schedule.”
— Biden endorsed the idea of a primary debate focused on climate change, becoming the 15th Democratic presidential candidate to do so. “That’s what we should be doing,” Biden told a Greenpeace activist in Iowa. “I’m all in, man. Take a look at what I’m talking about — and by the way, the first climate change plan in the history of the Congress? Biden.” From David Weigel: “Biden has been at pains to emphasize his devotion to climate action, especially since an aide was quoted as saying Biden would take a ‘middle road’ to fighting climate change — a characterization he strongly disputes.”
— The former vice president’s Clarence Thomas problem is bigger than Anita Hill: In 1991, Biden dismissed concerns expressed by women’s groups that Thomas would try to gut Roe v. Wade if confirmed to the Supreme Court. HuffPost’s Amanda Terkel reports that Biden told women who testified against Thomas, before Hill’s story came out, that they showed a “failure of logic” for suggesting that Thomas had extreme views on abortion. The then-chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee was quickly proved wrong, but he’s never apologized. For 28 years now, Thomas has been the most outspoken opponent of abortion rights on the high court.
— Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said her Justice Department would have “no choice” but to prosecute Trump. From NPR’s Scott Detrow: “I believe that they would have no choice, and that they should. Yes. There has to be accountability. I mean, look, people might, you know, question why I became a prosecutor, well I’ll tell you one of the reasons. I believe there should be accountability. Everyone should be held accountable. And the president is not above the law.”
— Sanders wants the leftist former president of Brazil released from prison. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been imprisoned on corruption charges, but an investigation suggested that a judge plotted with prosecutors to convict Lula. The Intercept’s Aida Chávez and Akela Lacy report: “Sanders said that the exposures should free Lula. ‘Today, it is clearer than ever that Lula da Silva was imprisoned in a politicized prosecution that denied him a fair trial and due process. During his presidency, Lula oversaw huge reductions in poverty and remains Brazil’s most popular politician. I stand with political and social leaders across the globe who are calling on Brazil’s judiciary to release Lula and annul his conviction,’ Sanders said in a statement.”
— Sanders, Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar signed on to a Senate letter demanding that McDonald’s address complaints of sexual harassment. “The lawmakers urged chief executive Steve Easterbrook to require all McDonald’s franchise stores to update their policies against harassment, abuse and employee retaliation. They also wanted to know how the fast-food giant would evaluate workplaces to address harassment complaints and investigate reports of unsafe working conditions,” Hamza Shaban reports.
— New Quinnipiac polls show Trump trailing several Democratic candidates in head-to-head matchups. From Aaron Blake: “Trump trails all six by between five and 13 points, with Biden holding the biggest advantage and the lesser-known candidates — Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) and Buttigieg — holding the smallest leads.”
— Trump’s consideration of tariffs against Mexico rattled Republicans in Arizona, which has solidified its status as a battleground in 2020. The New York Times’s Trip Gabriel reports: “Arizona’s Chamber of Commerce, a proxy for the Republican establishment, predicted devastation if tariffs were placed on Mexican imports such as fruits and vegetables. Grass-roots Trump supporters — who are often at odds with the business community — stuck with the president. … Those crosscurrents are on ample display in Chandler, a desert boomtown of 250,000 that reflects the demographic changes buffeting Arizona politics. … Once staunchly Republican, many Chandler precincts were colored purple on a map of last year’s midterms. … Now, both parties believe that Arizona, which Mr. Trump won by about 90,000 votes, or 3.5 percentage points, is in play in the 2020 presidential race. Who wins will come down, in no small part, to places like Chandler, with its well-educated independent voters.”
— The Trump campaign claims that it’s considering putting resources in Oregon next year, a state that has not voted for a Republican since Ronald Reagan in 1984. CNN’s Dana Bash writes up a memo from Trump campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio about ideas for “expanding the map” to give the president more options for getting 270 electoral votes: “Fabrizio maintains that New Hampshire, New Mexico and Nevada — all states that Trump lost in 2016 — are now ‘highly competitive.’ Those are three states where the Trump campaign already has resources on the ground. … Oregon, however, is no-man’s-land for the national GOP. The last Republican to make an early play for Oregon was George W. Bush during his 2004 reelection bid, since he had come within 8,000 votes of Al Gore there in 2000. But Bush lost Oregon to John Kerry by 4 percentage points.”
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING:
Riot police fire tear gas at protesters outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu/AP)
— Tens of thousands of demonstrators in Hong Kong stormed key city roads in the face of tear gas and rubber bullets Wednesday, after days of heightened tensions over the government’s plan to push forward a bill that would allow extraditions to China. Timothy McLaughlin reports from the scene: “It is the second time in five years that Hong Kong’s main roads have been occupied in defiance of Beijing’s tightening control on the semiautonomous city. Hong Kong’s Harcourt Road, a major thoroughfare tying the city together, was the scene of major street battles between the young protesters and police throughout the afternoon. The protesters, many of them young people dressed in black, started surrounding the building that houses Hong Kong’s main government offices, the Legislative Council, late Tuesday night. …
“The government has refused to scrap the extradition bill even after an enormous protest over the weekend, which organizers said brought over a million people to the streets. Critics of the bill fear that it would effectively apply China’s justice system to the semiautonomous city. Just as lawmakers were scheduled to hold a second reading of the bill at 11 a.m., the president of the legislature announced the reading would be changed ‘to a later time, an apparent response to the demonstrations. A final vote on the measure is expected by June 20. Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam joined mainland officials at a banquet Tuesday in Hong Kong, to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the territory’s return to China.”
Alex Morgan celebrates after scoring Team USA’s 12th goal during the Women’s World Cup match against Thailand. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)
GET SMART FAST:
The U.S. women’s national soccer team shellacked Thailand 13-0 in a record-breaking rout. America’s victory was the most lopsided win in World Cup history for men or women. (Steven Goff and Jacob Bogage)
The attorneys general of nine states, plus D.C., sued to block the proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. They argue that the combination of wireless carriers would give the newly formed company an incentive to raise prices and reduce service quality. (Tony Romm)
Alabama’s governor signed a bill requiring those convicted of certain sex offenses to undergo “chemical castration” as a condition of parole. But studies have shown mixed results on the effectiveness of taking testosterone-inhibiting medication — which is already required for some sex offenders as a condition of sentencing, release or supervision in seven other U.S. states and territories. (Marisa Iati)
Two Washington counties — including the one that encompasses Seattle — no longer charge people for possessing small amounts of drugs, including heroin, meth and crack, in virtually all cases. The approach, now being considered in other parts of the country, has been hailed as a humane alternative to mass incarceration. (Justin Jouvenal)
Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Supreme Court reinstated most of the legislation that Scott Walker signed during a lame-duck session to limit his Democratic successor’s power. The conservative court also blocked a trial that was scheduled to start today over a lawsuit challenging one of the laws passed during that session. (AP)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture voted to unionize after employees protested the agency’s planned relocation. The newly formed union would ask the department to allow employees to visit the proposed relocation site and to give them more than 30 days to respond to reassignment letters. (Ben Guarino and Lisa Rein)
Southern Baptist leaders voted overwhelmingly to amend their constitution in hopes that it will help cut down on sex abuse in their churches. The changes come months after a Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News investigation found about 700 victims of sex abuse in Southern Baptist churches. (Sarah Pulliam Bailey)
Temperatures in San Francisco hit triple digits as a major heat wave grips the West Coast. The 100-degree reading at San Francisco International Airport set a record for its highest-ever June temperature. (Ian Livingston)
The governor of Texas signed a bill declaring children’s lemonade stands legal. The legislation prevents cities and neighborhood associations from regulating or prohibiting unlicensed children who sell nonalcoholic drinks on private property. (The Texas Tribune)
Martin Feldstein, who served as Reagan’s chief economic adviser and shaped his tax reform effort, died at 79. Feldstein was respected by leaders of both parties for his deep research and served on Barack Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. (Heather Long)
THERE’S A BEAR IN THE WOODS:
— Trump is fixated on his belief that he is immune to impeachment, or the “I-word” as he calls it, because he has done nothing wrong. Ashley Parker reports based on interviews with 15 Trump insiders: “The president is intrigued by the notion of impeachment but wary of its practical dangers, one outside adviser said. Trump remembers how Republican impeachment proceedings in the late 1990s against President Bill Clinton seemed to boost Clinton’s approval ratings, and Trump is at his best when battling a perceived foe, several advisers added. Yet he also views impeachment in deeply personal terms. He is less concerned about the potential historical stain on his legacy — Clinton and Andrew Johnson are the only presidents to have been impeached — and more about what he sees as yet another Democratic attack on the legitimacy of his presidency, according to an outside adviser and a White House aide. …
“Those close to Trump are offering him advice on impeachment that one outside adviser close to the president described as ‘truly binary.’ On one side are those loyalists, mainly outside the White House, who are telling the president that impeachment could be a political blessing for him and his party — that one road to reelection runs through impeachment. On the other is a larger contingent warning that impeachment, even under the rosiest scenarios, would be a grueling gantlet that would leave him politically bruised, with an asterisk forever marring his presidency.”
— House Democrats voted to go to court to enforce subpoenas against Attorney General Bill Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn. Mike DeBonis reports: “On a party-line vote of 229 to 191, the House passed a resolution that would empower the House Judiciary Committee to go to court against Barr and McGahn over noncompliance with requests for documents and testimony. The vote keeps Democrats squarely on a meticulous investigative track favored by [Nancy] Pelosi and other top leaders — and away from the formal impeachment inquiry that some 60 rank-and-file Democrats and several 2020 presidential candidates have been seeking. Still, the House vote reflects the frustration among Democrats with Trump’s unwillingness to cooperate with congressional investigators.”
— If Democrats vote to hold the attorney general in contempt today, the Justice Department says Barr will ask Trump to assert executive privilege to shield documents from Congress on the administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. Matt Zapotosky reports: “The revelation came on the eve of an expected Oversight Committee vote to hold Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for failing to turn over documents that lawmakers had subpoenaed, as well as stopping a witness from testifying without a Justice Department lawyer. Assistant Attorney General Stephen E. Boyd wrote that the decision to schedule the vote was ‘premature’ and accused lawmakers of refusing to negotiate with the department to get at least some of what they wanted.”
— Donald Trump Jr. will participate in his second closed-door interview today with the Senate Intelligence Committee. Karoun Demirjian and Carol D. Leonnig report: “The president’s oldest son is expected to spend about four hours with the committee answering a limited number of questions, according to people familiar with the terms — including queries about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer promising incriminating information about Hillary Clinton. … Congressional Democrats believe that Trump Jr. may have lied to them during previous testimony about the meeting and whether he told his father about it — suspicions that were heightened after the publication of [Bob] Mueller’s report.”
— Two senior Trump administration officials said the White House will coordinate with the Justice Department to decide what underlying evidence House Democrats get to see from the special counsel’s probe. The Daily Beast’s Betsy Woodruff reports: “And, so far, the White House has not waived executive privilege regarding any of Mueller’s materials, the two officials said. Neither official would discuss if the White House plans to use executive privilege to limit Nadler’s access to documents.… The deal reached on Monday still gives Congress expanded access to Mueller’s work. All the members of the House Judiciary Committee, as well as some committee staff, will be able to read some evidence at Justice Department headquarters in downtown D.C. They will be able to take notes on what they read, and they will be able to take those notes with them when they leave the building.”
— Trump’s net worth rose to $3 billion despite the multiple setbacks his businesses have faced. That’s a 5 percent increase, measured by Bloomberg News’s Billionaires Index. (Bloomberg News)
THE IMMIGRATION WARS:
— “‘The migration problem is a coffee problem,” by Kevin Sieff: “Guatemala is now the single largest source of migrants attempting to enter the United States — more than 211,000 were apprehended at the Southwest border in the eight months from October to May. In western Guatemala, one of the biggest factors in that surge is the falling price of coffee, from $2.20 per pound in 2015 to a low this year of 86 cents — about a 60 percent drop. Since 2017, most farmers have been operating at a loss, even as many sell their beans to some of the world’s best-known specialty-coffee brands. A staggering number of those farmers have decided to migrate.”
— A Post photographer captured an image of Trump’s alleged secret deal with Mexico, revealing some of the document’s contents, including a potential agreement that would leave Central Americans seeking asylum detained in Mexico while their claims are processed. Aaron Blake writes: “The first question is obviously whether the document is legitimate. It is signed by two people, that we can see, but neither of these signatures are from the countries’ respective presidents, top diplomats or ambassadors to the other country. They appear to belong to Marik A. String, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, and Alejandro Celorio Alcantara, a deputy legal adviser in Mexico’s Foreign Ministry. … The document clearly deals with some kind of burden-sharing’ involving ‘refugees.’ The prevailing wisdom is that Trump, in citing a secret deal, may have been referring to some kind of pact involving asylum rules … in which Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States would be held in Mexico while their claims are processed. … It’s not clear from the text what the agreement might entail beyond that — or whether all the details have been sorted out.”
— Trump’s request for billions in funds for the border wall could languish in a fragmented Congress. Seung Min Kim and Erica Werner report: “Not until Tuesday was there some apparent progress in Congress, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced the Appropriations Committee would begin working on the $4.5 billion package next week and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus met privately to discuss what language they could accept as part of the administration’s spending request. But it’s unclear whether any border package endorsed by Democrats will pass muster with the Trump administration, which has repeatedly asked Congress for legal changes to expand detention capacities and tighten asylum policy but has been rebuffed.”
— The administration is planning on using an Army base in Oklahoma to hold immigrant children. The facility was a Japanese internment camp during World War II. As William Faulkner wrote: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Time Magazine’s W.J. Hennigan reports: “Fort Sill, a 150-year-old installation once used as an internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II, has been selected to detain 1,400 children until they can be given to an adult relative, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency said Fort Sill will be used ‘as a temporary emergency influx shelter’ to help ease the burden on the government as it prepares to house a record number of minors even though it already operates about 168 facilities and programs in 23 states. … Using military bases in this way is not new. In 2014, the Obama Administration placed around 7,700 migrant children on bases in Texas, California and Oklahoma, including Fort Sill.”
— The privately funded portion of the border wall was ordered to keep its gates open indefinitely. From BuzzFeed News’s Salvador Hernandez: “The controversial half-mile wall constructed along the US–Mexico border near Sunland Park, New Mexico, was erected earlier this month after organizers raised more than $23 million on GoFundMe, the online crowdfunding site. But We Build the Wall organizers failed to obtain the required authorization to build the barrier on federal land, cutting off access to waterways and a public monument.”
— Jurors have not been able to agree whether Scott Warren, the Arizona teacher who helped migrants, committed a crime. The Times’s Miriam Jordan reports: “Key to the case was Mr. Warren’s intent: Was he wholly motivated by a humanitarian purpose when he gave food, water, shelter and clean clothes to the two men from Central America? Or was he illegally concealing the men when he allowed them to remain at the volunteer group’s camp? Jurors had announced on Monday that they were deadlocked, but they resumed deliberations on Tuesday after the judge ordered them to try again — one sign of the difficult questions raised by the case.”
— In El Paso, Border Patrol agents are holding migrants in a “human dog pound.” Texas Monthly’s Robert Moore reports: “After New Mexico State University professor Neal Rosendorf read a government report exposing dangerous overcrowding of detained migrants at the Paso del Norte International Bridge in El Paso, he headed to the port of entry to see if he could find anyone protesting conditions there. … [He found] one hundred to 150 men behind a chain-link fence, huddled beneath makeshift shelters made from mylar blankets and whatever other scraps they could find to shield themselves from the heat of the sun. … In a statement this week, a CBP official acknowledged that the agency was detaining migrants outdoors for extended periods.”
Acting secretary of defense Patrick Shanahan responds to reporters’ questions at the Pentagon. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)
ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN AND WOMEN:
— Trump appears to be reconsidering nominating Patrick Shanahan as secretary of defense, NBC News’s Carol E. Lee, Courtney Kube and Leigh Ann Caldwell report: “The White House announced May 9 that Trump had decided to nominate Shanahan, who has served as acting defense secretary since January. But the White House has yet to formally submit Shanahan’s nomination to the Senate. While in Normandy, France, last week to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Trump asked at least three people what they thought of Shanahan and if they had any suggestions for different candidates, [four] people familiar with the conversations said. They said Army Secretary Mark Esper was discussed as a possible replacement nominee should Trump decide to pull back his Shanahan announcement. Esper was among the candidates whom Trump had previously considered for the defense secretary job.”
— The architect of the GOP tax cuts acknowledged that the tax cuts may not pay for themselves, something that Republican lawmakers repeatedly promised for months and months. Heather Long reports: “Pressed about what portion of the tax cuts were fully paid for, [Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Tex.)] said it was ‘hard to know.’ ‘We will know in year 8, 9 or 10 what revenues it brought in to the government over time. So it’s way too early to tell,’ said Brady at the Peterson Foundation’s annual Fiscal Summit in Washington D.C. … Brady’s comments are a marked departure from the claim many Republicans made during the tax bill debate that the tax cuts would be fully paid for by additional economic growth that would, in turn, spur additional tax revenues for government coffers. Numerous independent analyses concluded that the tax bill would add substantially to the U.S. debt, which currently stands at $22 trillion.”
— McConnell pooh-poohed press reports that suggested his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, improperly steered federal funds to Kentucky to boost his reelection campaign. Felicia Sonmez reports: “Asked whether he had received any special consideration for transportation grants because of his status as Chao’s husband, the Senate majority leader turned the tables, suggesting that he had discussed federal projects with Chao and that she hadn’t steered enough funds to his state. ‘You know, I was complaining to her just last night: 169 projects, and Kentucky got only five. I hope we’ll do a lot better next year,’ McConnell told reporters Tuesday at his weekly news conference. Politico reported Monday that Chao had tapped a top aide and former McConnell campaign staffer, Todd Inman, to serve as a ‘special intermediary’ for Kentucky, helping to steer at least $78 million in federal grants to projects favored by the Senate majority leader. Critics have argued that the arrangement provides special political benefit to McConnell, who is up for reelection in 2020.”
— Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican, clashed with National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) over the direction of the party’s campaign arm as it tries to win back the House. Politico’s Melanie Zanona and Jake Sherman report: Emmer “used a members’ only leadership meeting Monday night to press lawmakers about their party dues and contributions to the party committee. At one point, he questioned whether Cheney would continue to contribute campaign cash to the NRCC, according to multiple sources. Cheney, the House Republican Conference chair who outranks Emmer, fired back that she has met her fundraising benchmarks and paid her party dues. The Wyoming Republican … countered that some members are concerned Emmer is artificially inflating the fundraising numbers he brings in, according to sources. Cheney also told Emmer that some lawmakers are worried about the campaign arm’s general strategy going forward as it seeks to rebuild the GOP’s fortunes in 2020.”
— Trump has found a lawyer he likes: Pat Cipollone. Politico’s Eliana Johnson reports: “In six months on the job, Cipollone has turned the White House Counsel’s Office into a central hub of activity and made himself a constant presence in the Oval Office. A 53-year-old former corporate lawyer with an affable style, he has also made enough of an impression on Trump that the president has begun asking aides for their assessment of the White House’s top lawyer — a sign that, at the least, Cipollone has his client’s attention. … Cipollone is not one to seek attention — friends note that he is often found on the edge of photographs, as if he were seeking to step outside the frame. He is ‘a cordial but cut-throat negotiator. You never know what he’s thinking,’ said a former client.”
HOUSE DEMOCRATS USE THEIR MAJORITY:
— In an emotional hearing, first responders to the 9/11 attacks demanded that Congress extend a compensation fund for those ailing and dying of diseases linked to the toxic debris at the disaster sites. Devlin Barrett reports: “Luis Alvarez, a former New York Police Department detective, was one of several seriously ill Ground Zero workers who gave searing testimony about their longtime battles with illnesses, loved ones who have died and frustration with having to beg Congress to help. Alvarez said he had survived 68 rounds of chemotherapy to fight 9/11-related cancer and would start his next round Wednesday. Frail and struggling at times to speak, Alvarez said he came to Capitol Hill on behalf of those who will get ill later and may get little or no aid from the fund. … ‘You all said you would never forget. Well, I’m here to make sure that you don’t,’” he said.
“Alvarez’s testimony was followed by a furious denunciation of lawmakers from Jon Stewart, the former ‘Daily Show’ host who has championed Ground Zero workers. Stewart said the small number of lawmakers who appeared at the hearing shows how little respect Congress has for those who responded to the attacks. ‘Sick and dying, they brought themselves down here to speak . . . to no one,’ said Stewart, who fought back tears at times during his remarks. ‘It’s shameful. It’s an embarrassment to the country.’”
— House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) demanded that the heads of two federal intelligence agencies provide documents detailing how the White House tried to suppress testimony saying human activities are warming the planet. Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis report: “Schiff’s move came in response to the news, first reported Friday by The Washington Post, that White House officials barred the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research from submitting written testimony last week to his panel warning that human-caused climate change is ‘possibly catastrophic.’ … In a letter to State Assistant Secretary Ellen McCarthy, who oversees the bureau, Schiff said members of his panel wanted to learn more details about the interactions between White House aides and the State Department. He also sent a similar letter to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which had sent its own analyst to Wednesday’s hearing along with the Office of Naval Intelligence.”
— Climate change poses a major risk to the nation’s financial markets, said Rostin Behnam, a top financial regulator for the federal government’s Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The Times’s Coral Davenport reports: “’If climate change causes more volatile frequent and extreme weather events, you’re going to have a scenario where these large providers of financial products — mortgages, home insurance, pensions — cannot shift risk away from their portfolios,’ he said. ‘It’s abundantly clear that climate change poses financial risk to the stability of the financial system.’ Mr. Behnam was appointed by President Trump to a seat on the commission that, by law, must be filled by a Democrat. He said that unusual status gave him a measure of political protection that other appointees within the administration might not benefit from.”
— House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are the highest-profile supporters of raising congressional pay — but they’ve taken different approaches to the issue. Paul Kane reports: “Hoyer, who turns 80 on Friday and arrived in Congress eight years before Ocasio-Cortez was born, speaks as a veteran legislator with precise language. Over seven minutes Tuesday, Hoyer grew frustrated trying to explain that an annual cost-of-living adjustment is already automatic unless lawmakers vote to block it. Ocasio-Cortez, barely five months into her first term, turns the issue into a rallying cry against income inequality. The 29-year-old rising liberal star talks about higher wages for everyone, from low-level congressional staffers to bartenders across the nation. … The distance between those two approaches will be the measure between ending the era of cheap-shot attacks on Congress and finally encouraging lawmakers and staffers to stick around Capitol Hill awhile longer.”
— Several House Democrats broke down in tears after hearing the story of their colleague, civil rights icon John Lewis, seeing his great-great-grandfather’s voter registration card for the first time. Rachael Bade reports: “The House Democratic caucus invited Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Henry Louis Gates Jr., who heads the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University, to preview a new film on reconstruction. Gates spoke about Lewis’s appearance on his PBS show, ‘Finding Your Roots,’ researching the Georgia lawmaker’s family tree and presenting him with his ancestor’s voter card from 1867. … Lewis (Ga.), who fought for civil rights in the 1960s by organizing protests to end racial segregation, broke down crying in the caucus. His tears made others cry, according to several lawmakers in the room.” House Democrats’ bill to reaffirm voting rights has stalled in the Senate and is unlikely to be considered by the Republican-led chamber.
THE NEW WORLD ORDER:
— Trump praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said he received a “beautiful letter” from him. Colby Itkowitz and John Hudson report: “Trump, speaking to reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, said Kim’s letter came Monday. ‘I can’t show you the letter obviously, but it was a very personal, very warm, very nice letter,’ Trump said. ‘North Korea has tremendous potential, and he’ll be there. Under his leadership … And the one that feels that more than anybody is [Kim]. He gets it. He totally gets it.’ … Trump touted the letter as a sign that the talks were on track. ‘I think that something will happen that’s going to be very positive,’ he said Tuesday.
“Trump also claimed that remains of U.S. soldiers ‘keep coming back,’ but in reality, the Pentagon has suspended its efforts to recover those bodies. The U.S. military said it has been unable to reach North Korean officials to discuss issues related to the recovery of the remains. Trump was also asked about the news that Kim’s assassinated half brother was a CIA asset. The president said he’d tell Kim, ‘I wouldn’t let that happen under my auspices.’ It wasn’t immediately clear if Trump meant that Kim wouldn’t have killed his half brother under his tenure, or if Trump wouldn’t have allowed Kim’s half brother to become a CIA asset.”
— Out of the 10 candidates running to become the next British prime minister, eight have admitted to doing drugs. William Booth and Karla Adam report: “It’s a bit painful to watch them confess via Twitter to youthful indiscretions back at England’s elite universities, while trying to turn attention to what they might do about the Value Added Tax, for example. It is also far from clear what the 120,000 or so Conservative Party members — the ‘selectorate’ that will choose between two finalists — think or care about a former government minister smoking a fatty back at Oxford. The whole row began when one top contender, Environment Secretary Michael Gove, admitted to using cocaine ‘on several occasions’ in the past. Several? The British press naturally wanted to know more. There were quickly tabloid stories about a ‘double life’ and a ‘fast crowd’ in Mayfair casinos and Soho clubs, back when Gove was a young journalist.”
— The Dominican Republic is facing a potentially devastating image problem after six Americans tourists died mysteriously and a former Major League Baseball player was shot. Rachelle Krygier reports: “’Unfortunately, the unrelated incidents coincided in timing,’ said André Van Der Horst, tourism adviser to the Dominican Republic government. ‘With social media today, we are exposed and require an immediate response to the current public relations dynamic, a new reality worldwide,’ he said. ‘We are not used to this type of viral communicational outburst and are working with crisis management specialists to establish reaction protocols.’ … Hotel managers declined to comment. June is traditionally one of the slowest months on this tropical island. But hotel officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity acknowledged the property was receiving ‘more cancellations than usual.’”
— Bowing to international pressure, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega freed the leaders of 2018 protests against him whom he had locked up. Ismael Lopez Ocampo and Mary Beth Sheridan report: “Ortega had promised to free all such prisoners by June 18. His government has come under increasing international pressure, with the Trump administration steadily ratcheting up sanctions on his aides and family members. The European Parliament has also called for targeted sanctions on Nicaraguan authorities. At least 324 people were killed, mostly by security forces and allied militias, as authorities crushed anti-government demonstrations last year, according to human rights groups.”
— Intelligence officials and satellite photos reveal a Russian military buildup in Crimea. From DefenseOne’s Patrick Tucker: “The photos, taken between January 2018 and April 2019 by private satellite imaging company Planet Labs and provided to Defense One, show five S-400 batteries, five S-300 air-defense systems, and fighter jets at four locations. They also show improvements to Soviet-era military installations. … Observers said the development likely means that Moscow has no near-term intention of returning the Ukrainian territory it seized in 2014, which the United States has said is required before it will resume normalized relations.”
— Saeb Erekat, a top Palestinian official, is urging Arab states that will participate in a U.S.-led economic workshop later this month against advancing their own interests at the expense of the Palestinian territories. From the Times of Israel’s Adam Rasgon and Jacob Magid: “Erekat, a close confidant of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and a Fatah Central Committee member, said that when Arab states ‘exchange interests’ with Washington, they should ‘pay from [their] pocket — not mine.’ … Asked whether the Arab participation constituted a major disappointment for the Palestinians, Erekat said that ‘these countries have their interests,’ including those related to Iran. He was appearing to suggest that some Middle East neighbors are willing to play along with Washington’s agenda on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if it will allow for a more united front in curbing Tehran’s regional ambitions. … He predicted that Jared Kushner, a key architect of the American peace plan, will not be pleased with the public statements Arab delegations will make at the summit. ‘This conference in Manama will be the biggest setback and embarrassment for Kushner,’ Erekat said.”
SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ:
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) celebrated the women’s national soccer team:
Here’s an idea: If you win 13-0—the most goals for a single game in World Cup history—you should be paid at least equally to the men’s team.
Congratulations, #USWNT!
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) June 11, 2019
A HuffPost reporter said Biden is trying to whitewash his record:
Similarly, Biden’s telling of the ‘94 crime law – probably his signature legislative achievement – is largely the story of the Violence Against Women Act. The rest of the law’s provisions are barely mentioned. pic.twitter.com/Wzoslhg1ge
— Kevin Robillard (@Robillard) June 10, 2019
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) accused Biden of kowtowing to the Democratic Party’s “radical base”:
According to radical base of the Democratic party everything is Trump’s fault, even abuses by #China
In order to maintain support in Dem primary today Joe Biden (who certainly knows better) had to kneel at the altar of this lunacy https://t.co/2fdP8QhdlN
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 11, 2019
A CBS News reporter shared this photo from the campaign trail:
OTTUMWA, Iowa — Awaiting @JoeBiden’s first campaign stop of a two-day visit to the Hawkeye State. Event being held in the lobby of a building with a 664-seat theater. We��re not in the theater — in the lobby. #TheRoadto2020 pic.twitter.com/HpTgC6PDQv
— Ed O’Keefe (@edokeefe) June 11, 2019
A Post reporter noted that the cable channels covered Biden’s attacks on Trump:
Joe Biden has done something no other Democrat has been able to do in this race: Command attention from all cable networks, and have them stream his entire event live. pic.twitter.com/BnmCtwEHf5
— Matt Viser (@mviser) June 11, 2019
Another Post reporter highlighted Trump’s heftier security presence in Iowa:
There were nine @SecretService agents from the presidential protective detail guarding the stage in Des Moines. cc: @CarolLeonnig pic.twitter.com/uujb80JlC3
— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) June 12, 2019
Walter Shapiro, who is covering his 11th presidential campaign, made this prediction about the 2020 race:
Tiny prediction: Someone will build a drinking game around how often the candidates (not just Buttigieg) use the word “existential” on the Miami debate stage. https://t.co/Gfj57dZzVc
— Walter Shapiro (@MrWalterShapiro) June 11, 2019
The scene backstage before Buttigieg’s big speech:
Winning the era. pic.twitter.com/BqwdexMTaf
— Zev Karlin-Neumann (@zkarlinn) June 11, 2019
A former Obama State Department and White House spokeswoman gave it high marks:
beyond the @JoeBiden @realDonaldTrump Iowa showdown the @PeteButtigieg foreign policy speech was strong, forward looking, had some edge and drew on his own bio and experience as a veteran and a member of 9/11 generation. smart before 1st debate
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) June 11, 2019
An NPR reporter acquired a unique 1996 campaign button:
I am excited to announce that I have come into possession of this campaign button, hereafter to be known as “the precious.” pic.twitter.com/SkIX3jsMfa
— Danielle Kurtzleben (@titonka) June 12, 2019
GOOD READS:
— “The irresistible authenticity of Gayle King,” by Robin Givhan: “Getting to this moment has been a slow, steady build that suddenly lurched into overdrive. It’s been powered by upheaval at [CBS’s] news division, by King’s interview with R. Kelly — which was Shakespearean in its drama and pathos — and by King’s basic-common-sense public persona. She watched and reported as the career of her co-anchor and friend Charlie Rose unraveled after eight women accused him of sexual harassment in November 2017. … King is, perhaps, what the culture needs right now: a soothing voice of reason, an adult who isn’t drowning in cynicism, who is still capable of being let down by her fellow humans if only because she still has faith in them. Someone who lives in this real-world ‘Truman Show’ without feeling the need to perform.”
— “Adrift in the Arctic,” by Sarah Kaplan: “These scientists and several hundred others will launch the largest Arctic research expedition in history: a 12-month, $134 million, 17-nation effort to document climate change in the fastest-warming part of the globe. Home base will be a massive German icebreaker, though the ship will spend only a few weeks under its own power. After reaching a remote part of the Siberian Arctic, the crew will cut the engine and wait for water to freeze around the vessel, entrapping it. Then the ship — and everyone on it — will be adrift, at the mercy of the ice.”
— “Tulsi Gabbard had a very strange childhood which may help explain why she’s out of place in today’s Democratic Party. And her long-shot 2020 candidacy,” by New York magazine’s Kerry Howley.
HOT ON THE LEFT:
“In accidental interview, Interior Sec. David Bernhardt talks climate change, national parks and outdoor recreation,” from the Colorado Independent: “Interior Secretary and native Coloradan David Bernhardt said Monday in a brief, if unintentional, interview with The Colorado Independent that he’s not worried about climate change posing an imminent threat to national parks, nor to the outdoor recreation industry. … Bernhardt was in Vail to deliver what was billed as a keynote address for the three-day Western Governors Association meeting. … Bernhardt held no general press availability, but agreed to a one-on-one conversation with The Colorado Independent following his Q&A with the governors. It quickly became clear he had mistaken The Independent for the Glenwood Springs Post-Independent, his hometown paper, because Bernhardt’s first question to the Indy reporter was how long he had lived in Glenwood Springs. Bernhardt, upon realizing he was talking to the wrong news organization, agreed to an abbreviated interview.”
HOT ON THE RIGHT:
“‘Designated Survivor’ Boss on Series’ New Stephen Miller Character and How Mitch McConnell is ‘as Bad as ISIS,’” from the Daily Beast: “According to [Designated Survivor] writer-producer Neal Baer—who is helming the 10-episode third season of the political thriller, which is getting a new life on the streaming service—the 33-year-old Miller was the inspiration for Designated Survivor’s Phil Brunton. That’s the callous and criminally minded strategist for the right-wing populist presidential candidate running against accidental president Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland). ‘A twisted character,’ Baer [said] … [Baer added,] ‘I see Mitch McConnell as being as bad as ISIS. I think he’s as deep a threat to the country as ISIS. And I think he’s a traitor to the country.’ As for the Trumpist Republican Party in general, ‘It’s just a lapse of humanity amongst them,’ Baer said. ‘I try to understand the mindset, and I don’t get it.’ Baer has put his money where his mouth his, having donated more than $330,000 to Democratic candidates and causes since 2003.”
DAYBOOK:
Trump will welcome the president of Poland, Andrzej Duda, for talks, a news conference and a Polish American reception.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Nancy Pelosi said she is “done” with Trump: “I don’t even want to talk about him,” she told CNN. “My stock goes up every time he attacks me, so what can I say, but let’s not spend too much time on that because that’s his victory, the diverter-in-chief, the diverter-of-attention-in-chief.”
NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU LIVE IN D.C.:
— Today will feel like a pleasant yet cloudy summer day. The Capital Weather Gang forecasts: “Three out of the next five days qualify as quite nice for June around these parts. Today is one of those, with warm and pleasant conditions despite some clouds around. We’ll see some rain tonight into tomorrow morning, with a few showers and strong storms possible later in the day. Friday and Saturday are nice again before a more summery Sunday.”
— The Nationals lost to the White Sox 7-5. (Jesse Dougherty)
— Joe Morrissey, a scandal-tarred pariah of Virginia’s Democratic Party, took a giant step toward returning to the state’s General Assembly despite party opposition. Paul Schwartzman and Laura Vozzella report: “With no Republican on the ballot in November, Morrissey’s impending return to power is another astonishing turn for a politician and former prosecutor whose career has been defined by histrionics and incidents of misconduct. As always, Morrissey, who is white, counted on support from black voters, who turned out in large enough numbers for him to overcome Dance, a well-funded African American incumbent backed by Gov. Ralph Northam (D), U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D) and former governor Terry McAuliffe (D). Even before Morrissey declared victory Tuesday, Northam called to congratulate him, a gesture that confirmed Morrissey’s return from political Siberia.”
— Protesters want to fly the giant “Baby Trump” balloon during the president’s Fourth of July address. Marissa J. Lang reports: “On Monday, activist group Code Pink became the first organization to request a protest permit from the National Park Service ahead of Trump’s planned overhaul of the city’s premier Fourth of July celebration. But organizers hope the screaming-baby balloon will be a sign of what’s to come that day: protests, and more of them. … District officials have expressed concern over how the president’s presence might affect visitors and the typically nonpartisan tenor of the celebration. … Through online fundraising efforts that began in July 2018, Code Pink raised more than $10,000 to bring ‘Baby Trump’ to the District.”
VIDEOS OF THE DAY:
Stephen Colbert poked fun at Trump and Biden’s “collision” in Iowa:
youtube
Trevor Noah looked into the Russia-China relationship:
youtube
Biden was heckled three times during his speech in Iowa last night:
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) read a constituent’s letter on the House floor that describes Trump’s supporters as “racist” and “dumb”:
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Will marijuana make federalism go up in smoke?
Marijuana plants grow at LifeLine Labs in Cottage Grove, Minn., in 2015. (Jim Mone/Associated Press)
During the campaign, Donald Trump endorsed medical marijuana and said pot legalization “should be a state issue, state-by-state.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions, on the other hand, is a fierce opponent of marijuana and has opposed measures that would limit the federal government’s ability to interfere with state decriminalization efforts. Last month, Sessions reiterated the federal government’s authority to enforce federal drug laws “regardless of state law,” and some fear he will resist congressional efforts to protect medical marijuana from federal drug laws. Yet Sessions is not the greatest threat to continuing state-level marijuana reform efforts.
Lawmakers and citizen initiatives have successfully reformed marijuana laws in a majority of states. Twenty-nine states allow for the medical use of marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Eight have legalized marijuana possession and use altogether, allowing for recreational use. At least a dozen more states have effectively decriminalized possession of marijuana in small amounts. Yet marijuana use and possession remains illegal under federal law, even in small amounts or for medical purposes.
As a practical matter, the federal government has neither the interest in policing nor the ability to police low-level infractions of federal drug laws. Limits on federal law enforcement resources mean that the Drug Enforcement Administration focuses its efforts on larger dealing and trafficking operations. This policy approach was formalized during the Obama administration in the Cole Memorandum, which clarified that the Justice Department has little interest in going after marijuana possession or sale that is compliant with state law and is not linked to interstate trafficking or sales to minors. Nonetheless, the federal prohibition casts a shadow over marijuana-related businesses and activities that have been legalized under state law.
To protect state-level reforms, Congress has enacted appropriations riders that bar the DEA from spending funds to “interfere” with state laws authorizing the cultivation, use, possession or distribution of marijuana for medical purposes. Despite Sessions’s opposition, such a rider was included in the most recent spending bill that provides funding through Sept. 30.
The Appropriations Rider sends an important signal that Congress wants to allow states to allow medical marijuana, but it only goes so far. While the rider limits what the DEA can do, and was successfully invoked as a defense against prosecution in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, marijuana use and possession remain illegal under federal law, and this has far-reaching implications. Marijuana reform advocates spend lots of time worrying that Sessions will find a way around the appropriations rider or depart from the set of priorities outlined in the Cole Memo. This threat is real, but other threats are greater.
The fact that marijuana possession remains illegal under federal law has far-reaching implications whether or not the DEA can raid medical marijuana dispensaries. For one thing, it means that banks cannot lawfully service marijuana businesses, as doing so means servicing a criminal enterprise. The result is that marijuana sales are conducted almost exclusively on a cash basis. (For more on the banking angle, see this excellent paper by Alabama law professor Julie Hill.) This cannot be fixed through an appropriations rider.
A bigger potential threat comes from the fact that marijuana possession and distribution are predicate offenses under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). This means that those who produce or sell marijuana are potentially subject to civil RICO suits, whether or not such activities are legal under state law. So held the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit earlier this year. A federal judge once described RICO as “the monster that ate jurisprudence.” Barring real reform at the federal level, it could be the monster that ate marijuana federalism, too. Here again, an appropriations rider is insufficient.
The only way to protect state-level marijuana reform efforts is to change federal law, either by ending federal marijuana prohibition or expressly allowing state reforms to proceed. Outright federal legalization of marijuana is unlikely — and might not be a good idea insofar as state-level reform efforts generate useful information about the best way for reforms to occur. Allowing different states to adopt different policies encourages policy experimentation and produces knowledge about the pros and cons of different legal regimes.
The end of federal alcohol prohibition provides a potential model for how state-level marijuana reform efforts could be allowed to proceed. After adoption of the 21st Amendment, federal law continued to prohibit the sale and distribution of alcohol where such activities remained illegal under state law. Put another way, possessing, transporting and distributing alcohol in violation of state law was itself a federal offense. This remains true today. Thus, if a business produces alcohol in one state with the intention of exporting it to another state in violation of either state’s laws, it has committed a federal crime. In this way, the federal government allows each state to make its own choices with regard to alcohol policy and limits the effect one state’s choices can have on its neighbors. There’s no reason a similar approach would not work for marijuana.
Some opponents of state-level marijuana policy reform fear that legalizing marijuana in one state necessarily harms others. Such concerns are likely overstated, as Alabama argued in its powerful Gonzales v. Raich amicus brief, but can be addressed by limits on interstate trafficking, as has been done with alcohol. Marijuana would not be the first product to be legal in some states but not in others, and there’s no reason the traditional federalism principles are not equally applicable here. Perhaps Congress should give it a try.
Note: For those interested in this issue, I’ll be participating in a panel on Wednesday in Burlington, Vt., “Has Federalism Gone to Pot?” sponsored by the Federalist Society. Here also is my Introduction to a 2014 symposium on the subject, published in the Case Western Reserve Law Review.
Originally Found On: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/08/14/will-marijuana-make-federalism-go-up-in-smoke/
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Jai Wolf Announces Debut Album, Drops First Two Singles & Tour Dates
For the most part, Jai Wolf took 2018 off. Apart from releasing “Lost” with Chelsea Jade and its accompanying remixes, Jai didn’t tour for all of 2018 and didn’t release any other music. For EDM artists, for whom releasing music consistently is arguably more important than in other genres in order to stay in a DJ’s song rotation, the move could only mean one thing: something bigger was on the horizon.
Sure enough, today Jai Wolf announced his debut album, The Cure To Loneliness. From the pre-order, we know that the album will be 12 tracks and will be released on April 5. Along with the album announce, the first two singles from the album were also released today, “Lose My Mind” featuring Mr Gabriel, and “Telepathy.”
Considering “Indian Summer” is Jai Wolf’s biggest song ever, most fans will naturally gravitate toward “Telepathy” first. It has those recognizable guitar plucks and dreamy synths with chopped vocals that Jai Wolf fans know and love. It’s sure to be a high point on his upcoming tour – we’ll get to that in a second. But before that, we have to address the other new song “Lose My Mind.”
This is the one that a lot of Jai Wolf fans could end up scratching their head at. Right off the bat, it’s clear to hear that this isn’t like any other Jai Wolf track we’ve known thus far. The drums and guitar immediately give the impression of a pop alt track, and as soon as the vocal croons comes in, there’s no doubting it. This is a new style for Jai Wolf, coming off like a combination of Capital Cities and M83. It’s not immediately apparent if this is a one-off on the album or a sign of things to come, but our interest is definitely piqued.
“In my heart, this album is me,” professes Jai Wolf. “From the sounds to the lyrics, it’s everything that I’ve always wanted to do.
“I like writing songs that have a duality, a complexity of feeling that takes you to a melancholy, reflective space. My music is for people who are desperately dreaming beyond where they are at right now—it can be the future, it can be the past. I want you to feel nostalgic. I want you to reflect on your life. I also want you to be inspired about where your life could go.”
“Lose My Mind” also comes with a new music video, which you can watch here. Pre-order The Cure To Loneliness here.
The album announcement and new music also comes with a tour announcement. Jai Wolf will be kicking off the tour in April at 9:30 Club in Washington, DC five days after the album drops, and it’ll end at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Tickets will be available to the public on January 18 at jaiwolf.co/TCTLtour.
TOUR DATES: 4/10 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club 4/11 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer 4/12 – Boston, MA – House of Blues 4/13 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 4/17 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Ballroom 4/18 – Montreal, QC – Theatre Fairmount 4/19 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground 4/20 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre 4/21 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection 4/23 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone 4/24 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue 4/25 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre 4/26 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall 4/27 – Minneapolis, MN – The Loft at Skyway Theatre 5/1 – Kansas City, MO – The Truman 5/2 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre 5/4 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot 5/5 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House 5/6 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma 5/8 – Vancouver, BC – VENUE 5/9 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo 5/10 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theatre 5/11 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre 5/14 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theatre 5/15 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades 5/16 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst 5/17 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield 6/1 – Los Angeles, CA – Shrine Expo Hall
This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Jai Wolf Announces Debut Album, Drops First Two Singles & Tour Dates
source https://www.youredm.com/2019/01/14/jai-wolf-announces-debut-album-drops-first-two-singles-tour-dates/
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How Our Air Quality Affects our Health & Wellness
Depending on what city you live in, your air can either be a great thing for your health, or not so much.
The truth is, we consume 4 times more air than food and water combined in a day. So we can eat as healthy as we want and drink a ton of water, but what good does it do us if our air quality is lacking..?
Living in a city like Los Angeles, this is definitely something that worries me and something I think about a ton. As much as I love my hometown, LA LA LAND, Los Angeles was voted on top of the list of worst air pollution in the nation! (This makes me so sad!)
Air pollution can lead to headaches, asthma attacks, heart attacks and well way worse (Let’s keep it light on The Beauty Blender...!). :)
Let’s just say 8 out of 10 Californians live with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution some time during the year.
The question we have to ask is:
WHAT DOES IT DO TO MY HAIR, SKIN & BODY?
It definitely doesn’t do it any good! Why most of our skin in LA is dry, dehydrated and uneven.
"Pollution can cause uneven skin tone, accelerated aging and even skin cancer," says Doris Day, M.D., clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University Langone Medical Center. "Pollution breaks down collagen and the lipid layer in the skin, which impairs skin barrier functions," says Zoe Draelos, M.D.
I remember from Esthetician School learning about how it breaks down collagen and the lipid layer in the skin, which impairs skin barrier functions (I do remember SOMETHING from my Esthetician days!).
And I thought the sun was our biggest issue!
Good to know places like Burlington, VT are rated one of the top places without unhealthy air quality EVER. ...Tyler, my husband, is from Vermont so he will be happy to hear that one!
It’s pretty crazy when you think about it and unfortunately there’s only so much we can do or in our immediate control.
. . .
I do my very best to control my home environment as much as I can and be aware of the air quality.
HOW?
1. INDOOR PLANTS!
I try to put as many indoor plants in our home as possible.
Indoor plants remove pollutants from the air by absorbing these gases through their leaves and roots.
2. 100% Non-Smoking Home
Our home is a 100% a smoke free zone. We don’t allow anyone (not even my mom!) to smoke inside. Sorry Mom!
3. Buy An Air Purifier
I like this one: Germ Guardian Air System (Amazon, $89)
Air Purifiers can capture 99.97% of dust and allergens as small as .3 microns such as household dust, pet dander, mold spores and plant pollens.
4. Get The Sprimo App!
Believe it or not, we’re so high tech these days that there’s now an app that can help us detect the air quality in our homes and environment! I know, pretty crazy right?!
I was lucky enough to be one of the very first BETA testers and I’m in love with this app!
The Sprimo Personal Air Monitor senses airborne toxins and chemicals and gives you a real-time air quality score. It’s easily portable to give you peace of mind about the air you’re breathing wherever you go.
Also, it doesn’t just measure the air quality, but also the temperature, which is super helpful because I am always COLD! Anyone else?! Seriously, not sure what’s wrong with me but I’m always freezing so I love that I can always validate the actual temperature with my app! :D
The app can also tell you local air quality readings on locations/cities near you that might be worse or better.
To learn more about this amazing app, head to: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/raycombs/sprimo-personal-air-monitor.
This is one healthy app I would definitely (already have) invest in!
. . .
I don’t know about you but I think it’s time for us to be a bit more aware of how we can make a difference and care about our environment and the toll it takes on our health. These are some easy ways you can start today and I hope you do!
Happy breathing you guys!
<3
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Window Seats 101: Design Ideas and How to Determine the Best Style for Your House
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Window seats are an interior design win-win: They add both style and functionality to your home. This architectural feature can work in just about any area of the house, from the kitchen to bedrooms. At its most basic, a window seat serves as a cozy reading nook next to a window. “The bright and airy feel of daylight by a window makes [a window seat] a perfect spot for decompressing or relaxing within the comfort of your home,” says Kayla Hein, an interior architect and designer in Tulsa, OK.
It can also provide extra storage—some seats feature cabinets or drawers underneath.
And they might just add value to your home (in case you ever decide to sell). “With today’s casual lifestyles, sitting, reading, and lounging nooks are highly sought after,” say Dawn D. Totty, an interior designer in Chattanooga, TN.
Read on for a deep dive on the types of window seats and tips for home owners who want to design one in their home.
‘Bumped-out’ window seats
The design of the window seat is ultimately determined by the style of windows it will be built next to. A window seat that exists inside a pre-existing window nook or bay window is called a “bumped-out” window seat. “Building into an existing nook allows you take advantage of precious real estate and give it a real purpose,” says Hein.
This bumped-out design below turns a bay window into an additional seating area, potentially eliminating the need for a second couch or love seat. “Having a customized window seating will reduce the need for multiple seating throughout a room—it’ll give the space a cleaner and simpler look,” says Totty. The Mid-Century Modern design in this room is sleek, but has the disadvantage of lacking under-seat storage.
Midcentury living room design
Megan Nordin Designs
This Burlington, VT, farmhouse-style home features a bumped-out window seat nook, creating a banquette perfect for breakfast with the family or working at the kitchen table.
Farmhouse kitchen design
Cushman Design Group
The bumped-out window seat below creates a serene spot to lounge and gaze out at the San Francisco Bay. Nice view! Note the space-saving drawers underneath the seating area.
Contemporary living room design
Mahoney Architects & Interiors
Built-in window seats
“If you’re looking for a larger window seat option, consider building a window seat in the interior of the room,” Hein says. She explains that you can frame a built-in window seat with additional millwork, like shelving or cabinets. “This option gives you a bit more flexibility regarding size and function.”
This smart design below builds a small window seat into a dresser in a children’s bedroom. It’s a great way to max out storage and give the kids a place with good light to read books.
Transitional kids design
Yiangou Architects
The Dallas home office below seamlessly combines built-in bookshelves and built-in window seats, by painting them all in the same color.
Contemporary home office design
J Wilson Fuqua & Associates Architects
Here’s a built-in take on the kitchen banquette, this time with storage below and surrounding the window seat.
Traditional dining room design
Niche Interiors
A full-width window seat adds extra lounge space and storage to this bright bedroom.
Traditional bedroom design
Kate Jackson Design
Architect Carl J. Handman of Kingston, PA, likes to include window seats built into switchback staircases, like the one below. Whenever he designs residential two-story homes, he encourages the homeowner to include a window seating built-in, like this one in Old Greenwich, CT.
Beach Style staircase design
MuseInteriors
Designing a window seat
Sold on the idea of a window seat? Here are some things to consider if you’re feeling ambitious and want to have one designed and built from scratch.
Dual-purpose design. “Many people who opt for a window seat do so for a dual-purpose design,” says Hein. Aside from the seat portion, will you include storage? Built-in bookcases? Placement near a dining area that allows it to be used as a banquette? If you’re going to include storage inside the bench, use drawers instead of a hinge, especially in children’s rooms,” says Leslie Saul of Leslie Saul and Associates in Cambridge, MA.
Cushions. Will you have a cushion top or finished wood? Wood is easier to clean, but Totty recommends a cushion at least 4 inches thick for comfortable window-gazing. “If the bench is 8 to 12 inches below the window, you can have a small back pillow or cushion,” says Saul.
Choose the right window. “If the window faces south or west, you may experience some harsh light that needs to be tempered with window treatments. North- and east-facing windows may be a bit cooler overall, but offer more uniform and pleasant sunshine during the day,” says Bryan Slowick, owner of BDS Design Build Remodel in Chicago’s North Shore.
Timing. A custom window seat with upholstery could take up to 10 weeks to build. If you’re including a window seat as part of a larger remodel, be sure to work with your contractor to get the timing right.
Transitional living room design
Naomi Astley Clarke
The post Window Seats 101: Design Ideas and How to Determine the Best Style for Your House appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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